I'm back...at least I hope

Gosh I didn't realize how long it has been since I've posted something. Over 2 months is to long to be away from this blog. So much has happened since August which I will attempt to summarize.

1) signed up for a triathlon but it got cancelled....we not a happy camper. I have plans to sign up for a different tri next year
2) Took a fantastic trip to South Dakota. I have pictures and things to blog about but that will be saved for another day
3) I finally got to test drive a Jeep Cherokee (which I had been waiting since May to look at) and after the test drive I put in an order for a new one! It should be here some where at the end of Dec and the beginning of Jan. I will definitely post pics of that one. I have never owned a new vehicle so this is a huge purchase for me.

There were other things that happened but I'm choosing not to post them at this time. Maybe some other time in the future or maybe not.

There is something small I wanted to talk about. It's about running shoes! Oh, yes...it's coming up to winter and I am still planning on running. I have an ankle injury that just won't go away. I've gone to a specialist and the only thing he suggested was a steroid shot. I don't like shots, especially in the joint area round a nerve. So I'm finding alternatives to deal with the pain.

Anyway, I have a pair of running shoes I purchased this summer but every time I run in them my nerve flares up and it hurts to walk for several days after. Not to mention the run can be very painful. So on day I decided to look into what shoe would be the best for me and after some research I figured out what I needed in a shoe to help my pronation. So then I jumped on to Zappos and ran across these shoes.

Yes they are the craziest color's I have ever seen and check out the shoe laces...multi colored! There is that inner child that is screaming with excitement. Normally I would never wear anything so loud but for some reason I fell in love with these crazy colored shoes.

That is not the reason I bought them...really it's not. The reason I purchased them was because of all the reviews. There were people with ankle and foot issues that loved the comfort of these shoes. There were customers that swear by these shoes because they don't have pain while running anymore. So I took a leap of faith and bought these bad  boys without trying them on. (trying them on would have consisted of finding a store that had them, going to that store and dealing with the sales people....time wasted)

Last night when I got home from work they were waiting for me on my door step. I felt like a child running towards the Christmas tree! Of course I ran inside, ripped open the package and put them on my feet. They were not bad. No pinching, not to small or big and cradled my foot. So I spend most of last night walking around in them just to see if I noticed any issues. NOTHING!!!

Today I plan on taking this puppies for a short run...probably on the treadmill to see how my ankle and arches feel in them after a 2 mile run. I'm pretty sure they will be more comfortable than the ones I currently have.

I've tried going to special running stores but for some reason all their shoes never feel good on my feel. I don't know if they fit me in the wrong sized shoe or if my foot is just hard to fit.  I get that you want a shoe that has room in the toe but if the rest of the shoe doesn't fit right then whats the point.

Anyway, I think I found the right shoe for me. The short run will tell me if I'm right:)

My First Duathlon- I DID IT!!!!

Here I am right after I completed my first Duathlon (2 mile run, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run).

What an amazing experience it was. I pushed myself further than I have ever pushed myself before. I completed the race in just under 2hrs...and I mean just under. My official score was 1hr 59min and some seconds which I don't remember. So now I have my base time that I need to beat for my next one...did I just really say that?

So here is my experience to the best I can describe it:
Had a rough night sleep with crazy dreams about the race. One dream I remember is that I parked my car and then after the race I couldn't find it and was stranded....weird...I know!

Anyway the day started at 5:30am of which I rolled out of bed just before 6am. Loaded up all my stuff and headed to the race. I got there about 7am and it was packed. I think there were a little over 300 participants for this race.

I sign in,  get my number, my packet and set up my bike station. 7:30am they had the pre-race meeting and at 8am the race started. The crazy thing is I wasn't nervous....I think at this point ignorance is bliss.



So the run begins and luckily I friended a lady (Kathy) that ran my speed and most of the way we ran together until my calf’s started to tighten up. (Lesson 1, Do a warm up run and stretch before the race begins) So I stopped to walk and stretch out my calf’s and Kathy pushed forward. My calf’s finally loosened up and I started to run again.

Coming around the corner, I see Kathy on her bike and she yelled for me to catch up to her. OK, I can sure try. So I picked up my pace and crossed the blue mats and ran to my bike. Got on my bike and headed up the hill (to give you a visual, we start the race at the bottom of a hill next to the lake. So the first 500 meters is all up hill).

This is the bike station and that is my bike and number:)

The bike course was extremely hilly and the section that I thought was straight was more like a 3 mile incline. (Lesson 2, if the course is hilly, train on hills! This is where my training failed me because I had only trained on flat surfaces. Next year I’m training on the hills.) This was a tough course. About 2 miles into the ride I was extremely happy I decided to purchase an actual road bike…not sure I would have fared to well on my mountain bike.

Coming up to mile 4 I started to question why I wanted to do this in the first place. My stomach was getting nauseated and at one point I felt like I was going to throw up (Lesson 3, Stay hydrated!!!) I sucked in as much air as I could to preventing me from tossing my cookies. Coming up to mile 5 there was a couple sitting in front of their house playing their banjos. I loved that! It was music and gave me that extra push I needed to finish getting up that stupid incline.

I past the Mile 5 mark and it was almost all down hill from there.  It was such a relief! The five miles back didn’t seem to take as long as it did getting to the five mile mark. About Mile 8 I past Kathy. She apparently didn’t train at all on the bike so this was her weakest part. I pedaled right past her and she cheered me on.

I pass over the blue mats to the transition area and my legs were just not working. I knew this was going to be a tough transition so I walked my bike to my station and took a little bit of time to let my legs adjust. As I was ready to take off for my final run, Kathy entered the transition station. I waved and moved on.

So up the hill I go again. This time I decided to walk up the hill and then run at the top of the hill. Kathy caught up to me and decided to walk up the hill with me. During the walk my side started to cramp and I was having a hard time catching my breath. I took several deep breaths and finally got the cramping to go away. Kathy took off once we reached the top of the hill I continued to walk until I was better.

Finally when the cramping stopped I started to run again. (Lesson 4, train harder on the running AKA actually work on running a straight 3 miles instead of run/walking!!!) My legs were aching, my feet hurt and then the nausua hit again. The water sloshing around in my stomach was not doing so well. (Back to Lesson 3, stay hydrated!!) I took in too much water at the transition station and now the water was sloshing around in my stomach and made me feel sick.

Once everything finally adjusted I tried to run again but I think my body was angry with me and refused to listen so I was stuck walking.  I noticed two other girls walking ahead of me so I picked up speed and caught up to them and started to chat. I enjoyed the talking but at mile 2 I decided to take  off running again. I picked up my pace and went all out.

When I saw that finish line I dug down deep and push as hard as I possibly could and crossed over the finish line to a cheering crowd. I didn’t know anyone but it still felt good.
 
I caught up with Kathy and we congratulated each other. Then I hung around to watch the other lady I talked to cross over the finish line. I was able to meet her husband and 4 kids. It was a really fun day over all. Now I’m excited about trying my first Triathlon.

I learned a lot of lessons that day but the most important is to stay hydrated. I ended up getting an insane headache when I got home and the nausea came back. I didn’t realize what was causing it until I talked to my mom. After many glasses of water and a 2hr nap I was back to normal by night.

I should have drank water/sport drink before the race and I should have drank more during the race. Silly me, I didn’t realize the impact a two hour race can have on my body. I now know better for next time.

At the end of the day I received a shirt, a participation medal and a little boost to my pride!

UPDATE:
Here is a picture of me crossing the finish line. I'm glad they had someone there taking pictures. I have to laugh at this picture because if you look close enough I have the most stupid smile on my face. I have to say it is difficult to put on a full blown smile after 2hours of killing yourself. But I tried and no matter how dorky I look I'm very proud that I finished this course. Next year I'm planning on doing the tri instead of the dua.

My Life List

My Life List….it was a crazy list that I put together right after my Divorce about 8 years ago. It was a time in my life when I was trying to rediscover myself and find where I fit in.  It was all those crazy items that I had always dreamed of doing but never could for one reason or another. Over the past 8 years I have been working on my list and it has really dwindled down to almost nothing. 

And as I speak, in less than a month I will remove one more item from that list. The sprint Triathlon! To be honest this was one of those items that I never thought I would ever do. I figured it was something that I could put on there and just let sit. You know, the untouchable dream. But here I am now, already signed up and have been training for it. 

People say it’s about the journey but really its about the journey and the accomplishments . I have a hard time sitting back and looking at a journey that led to failure and saying “well at least I enjoyed the journey”. Just not going to happen for me…we all tick a little differently. 

So what made me do it…to sign up. This whole thing came around when I started running with a friend and after a few conversation about different things we could sign up for she suggested we do a sprint triathlon. Then of course, I blurted out “Oh that is something that I’ve always wanted to do”. So she smiled and said let’s do it. 

I found one, however the swimming part was in a lake. I used to be a strong swimmer but now in my old age I’m not so confident and doing my first tri in a lake just didn’t sit well. However they had a Duathlon (2mile run, 10 mile bike, 3mile run) at the same time. So I thought that would be a good first start to see if I even liked doing anything like this. I signed up. My friend did not.

So tomorrow, I am about to venture into the world of Tri’s and Du’s by myself. No coach, no friends and no family to cheer me on or scream congratulation when I cross over the finish line for the first time I complete a Duathlon. Yes, it is pathetic but I was kinda hoping someone would be there just to experience the moment with me. OK…all sappiness aside.

Then just a week ago I was talking to a coworker and she said she just signed up for a Tri in Sept and the swim is in a pool. So I told my friend and we both signed up for it. So when I do my first sprint triathlon my friend will be there suffering along side me and experiencing the moment with me. I’m totally excited about the Tri!

So this year I will have completed my first Duathlon and Sprint Triathlon within one month of each other. Can’t wait to see where this craziness leads to.

PS... I’m hoping they have people that will help you to your car after the race:)

Freedom from the Numbers

For years I have been battling my weight. Whether or not I actually had a weight problem, it didn't matter because I felt like I did.

I had a love hate relationship with my scale and those stupid numbers. All the numbers...what the scale said, what my pants size was, what the BMI should be vs what it is, all the measurements around the body, the height vs weight balance, calories in vs calories out,  all the numbers. My life and how I felt everyday revolved around those numbers.

Because I focused so much on those numbers I tried everything to make the scale read my number, to slide on a pair of size 8 pants, to have the BMI tell me I was "normal", to have the measuring tape tell me my arm circumference was average. I joined weight watchers, I exercised, I yo-yo dieted, I fad dieted, I even starved myself at one point. Yes, I was desperate to make all those numbers love me.

For 30 some years I have been battling the numbers. I wanted to have all those numbers so bad that at one point I did stop eating for a long time. I'm not sure how I stopped eating but I was down to eating lettuce and drinking pepsi and that was it. My pelvic bones protruded through my skin and you could see each and every rib bone. But my weight...my weight we still not there. I should be 135 not 137...no matter what I did I couldn't get to that average weight for a 5'5 female. I needed to be at 135. Never mind my face was gaunt and I had dark circle around my eye, never mind I was tired all the time, never mind I was getting bruises on my bottom from where my bones were hitting the seat...I needed those numbers. I needed that scale to say I was a healthy 135.

As time went on I started to eat again and started to gain weight...I hated it. But I couldn't stop eating again, my will power seemed to leave me. The scale kept climbing and my body kept changing and then finally I was fat. Officially fat, all the numbers told me I was fat. Infact the BMI told me I was obese! I hated those numbers, I hated getting on the scale every day but yet I did it. And what that scale told me was I was a loser and fat and unloveable because I couldn't manage my weight.

I've hated myself for a very long time. I've hated those numbers for a very long time. I've hated alot about myself because of those number but then something changed a few months ago.

My Scale Broke!!!

I had been dieting and was weighing my self everyday. Two or Three times a day. The scale was moving just a little bit but just enough to give me hope. And then the fateful day, I jump on the scale, not knowing it was broken and I gained 10lbs over night. I panicked, the scale had to be wrong. What did I do to have gained so much weight? Then I jumped on the scale again and the weight was back down! What the Hell. I pick up my scale to look at it and as I picked it up one of the legs fell to the floor and bounced. My scale WAS broken.

Relief....than PANIC! MY SCALE WAS BROKEN!! How do I know if the numbers love me today? I wanted to run to the store and pick up a new scale but something happened in the brief moment of panic.

I stopped, picked up my scale, took it to the trash and it was all over. I stood there for a second staring at the scale in the trash and felt this small burden fall off my shoulders. It was a very settle feeling of freedom from the numbers.

As the week went on, I discovered I focused less and less on my weight. Then my focus changed from weight to exercise. But not really exercise, I wanted to do things that were fun and not just lift weights in the gym or go to an aerobics class. I wanted to do things outside and so my search started.

I joined a soccer league to start, then I started to run slowly at first and not very far, then I picked up biking, of which a friend suggested I try a dualthon, so I signed up. Then I joined a gym with a lap pool and have been doing laps. Small things but they are all things I really enjoy!

In the mix of everything, I stopped weighing and measuring myself and decided I was going to have fun and if I lose weight in the process great and if not, maybe I can at least get a little healthier along they way.

The neat thing is that since I've started all these activities I've noticed a little change in my body. Not much but just a little change. My pants are a little bit looser and my thighs are a little bit firmer and my belly is a little bit smaller.

I have no idea how much I weigh and I have no interest in finding out. For the first time I'm embracing my body and the way that it is and have finally stopped obsessing about those numbers. Those numbers no longer control how I feel about myself.

I've found a new place in life and I refuse to go back to allowing those number to control my every move. I am free from those stupid numbers and I love it!!!!

Liam - the foster dog

About two months ago I fostered a female brittany that Mitch named "Sally". No one knew the past of Sally because she was picked up as a stray and the animal shelter contacted the rescue I volunteer for.

The problem was the shelter needed the space and the closest foster was a couple of states away. So they needed someone to take Sally for a week until the foster could come in town and pick her up. I thought this would be a good opportunity to see if I wanted to foster.

Sally was not a joy ride. She had a lot of issues and after a week I was happy to hand her over...so I thought. I handed her over and as I turned away I started to cry. I sucked it up until I hit my car and then I let the river flow. It broke my heart...I couldn't believe I had gotten attached to the dog. I told Mitch, and everyone else, I would never foster again.

Well that was then and this is now. About two weeks ago there was an email that came across asking for a foster for a Brittany that was an owner surrender. I read the description and saw the picture and just knew I wanted to give it another try.

So this Saturday I drove 2hr to meet up with the owner and get Liam. Got him home and Jack and him hit it off right away. Liam has fallen right into the routine and almost feels like he's been here for a while. He is highly active...and I mean HIGHLY active! He played with Jack for over 5hrs yesterday before he laid down and closed his eyes.

Liam is a sweetie and I know he will be adopted rather quickly.

Dualathalon....here we go!

Here I go on my next great adventure....I feel like I use this term a lot in this blog. But to be honest everything seems like an adventure to me.

So originally I was going to do a sprint triathlon however things have changed a little bit because I can't seem to get in the training for the 500yd swim. However during the triathlon they are also hosting a dualathlon. Now this I can do.

2mile run, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run

I figure I've ran 5 miles before, although a long time ago and 10 mile bike shouldn't be to bad. My friend just did a 30 mile bike ride and survived. I can do this!

I will be doing it with my friend and I just down loaded runkeeper which will help me train for both the bike and the running. I'm doing this the right way, slow and steady.

The big plan is to do the triathlon next year which will give me time to work on the swimming part. I can't wait to do this!

By the way, I also started a new soccer league last week and am loving the game. The best part about the league is it's a variety of  women from all walks of life and they all welcome the new comers with open arms. It was an amazing feeling. Plus I was complimented on my skill as a beginner. Apparently some the girls felt like I had some natural talent.

So now I have my summer activity (Soccer) and my winter activity (Skiing). Along with my all year activity (Running). I'm set!

Now moving on to my next challenge......going for my MBA program! That's a whole nother story!

In a Little Bit of a Pickle

To sum it up...I'm having car problems.

This Friday I took my car into the repair shop to have a look at several different things.

1) transmission is shifting hard after an hour of driving
2) air conditioner is not blowing cold air
3) turn single work intermittently
4) Oil leak under car
5) Oil change
6) Transmission fluid change

So I take it in and tell the guy what is going on and he said the transmission may be in early stages of failing but he won't know until he runs a diagnostic on it. If the transmission is failing then it would cost 2400 to get a new one. Of course my car is 11 years old so it's not worth dumping money into, which he agreed.

So he checked everything out and here is the outcome
1) transmission is in early stages of failing (ugh! that is what I feared)
2) the engine has multiple oil leaks ( Yep...figured that too)
3) the air conditioner is losing freon some where. He couldn't find the leak. (No cold air for me this summer)

So I asked the only question I could....How long until the transmission goes out? Of course no ones knows. It could be next week or it could be 2 years. Mitch suggested a temporary fix for the transmission which he thinks will help hold out until Oct...when the new Jeep Cherokee's come out. I'm praying it will help. So I'm taking a big gamble, but in the mean time I'm going to test drive as many vehicles as possible until I find one I like.

So far I've driven Toyota RAV 4, Chevy Equinox and Ford Escape. Next I will test drive a Honda CR-V and then the Jeep Cherokee. I do not like the RAV 4 so that has been checked off my list. The Chevy is a good vehicle but is a little big for me.

The Ford surprised me because I thought I wouldn't like it. But I got in it and it was a smooth ride. So if my car breaks tomorrow I would get the Ford. And then I figured since the ford surprised me I would put the CR-V back on the list. I figure it might surprise me too.

But here is where I'm in a pickle. Should I purchase new or used?

I've been looking and the price of used vehicles are coming down to where is almost makes since to purchase a 2011 or 2012. But with the new vehicles it seems like the fuel economy is getting better and the body styles are changing.

I guess I will hold out and see where this all will end.

American Brittany Rescue Volunteer

I finally found something I could volunteer for and means something to me!

Last year around this time I was given a chance to adopt Jack and over the past year he has wiggled his way into my heart. He's such a goofy dog and I love him so much!

For the past couple of years I've been trying to find a volunteer opportunity that meant something to me and the more I feel in love with Jack the more I realized I should volunteer for ABR (American Brittany Rescue).

So I signed up and this weekend I get to help a female brittany. She was a stray in Fort Wayne and a shelter picked her up. Noone came to claim her and because the shelter was full they reached out to ABR for help.

So the plan is, this little girl will be transported down to Indy, which I will pick her up and keep her for a week. Then next Saturday I will take her to a rescue event and hand her off to someone else to take to her forever home. ABR was able to find a home for this little girl in just a couple of days.

Its an amazing feeling to be able to help. I believe in rescues and tell anyone who is looking for a dog to look into a rescue. Rescues are not for everyone especially if you need a dog for a specific reason but if you are looking for a good house dog to be apart of your family then check out a rescue.

I think what people don't understand about rescues is that not all the dogs are neglected and abused. The don't all have anxiety issues or food aggression.

Like Jack for example. Jack was surrendered to ABR because the couple was older and couldn't provide the proper training for Jack due their health issues. The guy told ABR that he knew if he didn't give Jack a proper home with someone who could manage him Jack would develop behavioral issues.

Jack turned out to be the best dog. As with any dog, when he came into the family, he had to learn my rules but he adjusted quickly as well as I did with all the "puppy behavors" I forgot about. AKA, i had to puppy proof my house:)

 Anyway...the point of this posting is that I actually found some I could volunteer for and truly believe in and can check off my bucket list.

The scary thing is my bucket list is becoming shorter and shorter. Guess I need to think of more things I want to do in my life:) Did I mention I'm doing a sprint triathlon this September? Yep...thats a whole other blog posting!

 

Adventures of Juicing

I've decided to turn over a new leaf recently and start juicing. I've been looking into it for a while and I know a few friends who have ventured into it as well. So today I purchased the Nutribullet and bought some veggies.

I was so excited! I did hear it takes a little of getting used to but I was still game. I got home, ripped open the nutribullet and set it up. Then I ripped open a store bought pizza and stuck it in the oven.

While the pizza was cooking I googled some recipes and was excited to find that I had most of the ingredients. So back into the kitchen I went with my computer in hand.

I followed the recipe to a T and started blender. Once it was all done I took the container off the bullet and just kinda looked at it. It was all green and kinda gross looking. But, Oh well....down the hatch it goes. I closed my eyes and took a big gulp.

Probably a mistake....baby steps. Yep, it was gross...well not gross but definitely not something I could just sit and drink. So I walked over to the sink and down the drain it went.

Then I thought to myself, or maybe I talked to my dogs, "maybe I'm not ready for the greens, I'll just look for recipes with carrots and beets and some other sweet type of veggies". So back the computer and there it was a recipe with carrots, celery and cucumber. Perfect!!!

I throw all that stuff in the bullet and blended away. This time it wasn't so bad. I at least got two good gulps down before I washed it down the drain as well.

That's when I realized I'm going to have to figure out the portions of each item in the recipes because the recipes were made for a normal sized blender. This is about 1/3 of the size of an actual blender.

My buzzed went off for the pizza and decided to call the juicing adventure done for the day and enjoy the heck out of my pizza. I'll save this adventure for another day and stick with fruit smoothies.

In the meantime, I'm going to go buy some spinach and ginger root since most of the recipes out there call for spinach and ginger root.

My First Soccer Game....Ever!!

And the adventures keep on coming......

Last week I was reading some weekly news updates from work and in the updates we something about a soccer league that we starting up for spring. So I clicked on the link, read a little bit about it and thought "hummmm, I could do that!".

So I reached out to the team captain listed in the article and asked a few questions and before I knew it I sent him an email telling him to sign me up!

Luckily this is a recreational league and all skill levels are welcome.

I told the guy I had never played and needed some tips. So he directed me to youtube....didn't learn a whole lot but what the heck. Then I searched for what I needed in clothing and it appears the most important things was cleats and shin guards. Trying to do this cheap I asked him if I needed cleats and sadly he said yes.

So off to the store I went and set myself up with cleats, socks, shin guards and soccer shorts. Then I waited for our first game.

The guy was supposed to meet me early to give me a few tips but didn't show. So I saw three guys kicking the ball around and joined in their circle.

 I wasn't kicking the ball very well and the guy to my left just kinda stared at me. So I quickly introduced myself and let him know I've never played soccer before so i don't know what I'm doing. He was more than happy to give me a few tips. Like how to kick the ball correctly......very helpful:)

Then I saw my team gathering and ventured over their and then for another 15-20 minutes we kicked the ball around. Ok...this is good...I can do this.

Then it was time to pick positions.....yep...people were selecting what they like and I just stood there and the team captain had me out there as one of the midfield runners. So I ran from one side of the field to the other and back and forth and back again.

I just want to say it may not be the best idea for a slightly out of shape women to join a soccer league and the first position she is given is to run back and forth. I think I about had a heart attack out there today.

Luckily we had three women so we kept switching us out to save us from death. Then in the middle of the game it started to rain. So it went from hot and humid to rainy, wet and chilly.

In the end, I had a great time and I'm looking forward to the next game. This is one of those things I wish I would have started sooner. So, who know this may be something I keep doing past the spring season:)

Being Responsible

I was taught as I was growing up to be responsible with my money. You know the saying "money doesn't grow on trees"? Well I learned that lesson at a very young age.

As I grow up, I made some bad choices in life, which I paid dearly for financially and now I'm were I am at today and I'm a freak about money. To be honest I hate that I'm a freak. It goes beyond just being concerned about money...I stress over it.

I have a friend who spends money like it does grow on trees and at one point we talked about it because she was impressed with my ability to save because she doesn't. She made a comment to me that her theory is that you can't take it with you when you die so might as well enjoy it now. In a way I envy that about her...I think she takes it a little far but still she does enjoy the money she makes in multiple ways.

I, on the other hand, don't enjoy the money like I should...I stress over it and save and save and save and plan and save. I'm so worried about money that I'm making car payments for a vehicle I haven't purchased. I wanted to make sure I could afford the car and still save like I've been saving.  Its just twisted!!

I bring this up because this morning I was going to go on a little friendly shopping spree and blindly spend on things for the house and maybe some cloths. Then there was this little voice in my head that said "ummm, hello idiot, don't you remember that bed you just bought and what about that carpet cleaner, all of which was put on your credit card....well you better check out the balance on the credit card before you go spending!!!"

I wanted to push that voice out of my head...I really really did. But the pain in my stomach started and I started to feel ill. Yes, my stomach churns when I know I have credit card debt or any small loan. I'm telling you I'm a freak.

So I opened up my account and sighed. I have a limit of how much I allow on my credit card and sadly it passed that limit...just by a tad. The number made me rethink my whole day:(

So I did what any insane responsible person who is obsessed with money would do. I pull money out of saving to pay it off...ugh! I wish I could be normal about money...I don't want to be so far gone like my friend who doesn't have a savings and spends money willy nilly but I also hate that I get stressed out about not having things payed off.

There's got to be a happy medium somewhere. Maybe I should seek some counseling. Anyway my day is blown and I'm resorting to window shopping. Sad times!!! 

My New Bed Journey

About 5-6 years ago I had to purchase a new bed because the old bed I was sleeping on was hurting my back. So I ran out to the first store I could think of and purchase a rather expensive bed on a whim. The thing I didn’t understand is that the bed you lay on in the store doesn’t have the same feel when it is delivered.

I tried to return it but the store said I had to sleep on it for about 4 weeks before I could return it. Of course as time went on, I got busy and before I knew it the period for when I could exchange it passed. So there I was stuck with a craptastic bed. I might as well been sleeping on the floor it was that firm.

Because I paid as much as I did I refused to spend money on another bed. So I suffered and I mean I SUFFERED. I would wake up 2-3 times a night, then when morning rolled around I was still tired and didn’t want to get out of bed.. 

At one point I was training to do a mini marathon and I was unusually exhausted. I’m talking I would wake up to run my miles, head home and sleep for another hour, get up go to work and at lunch time go to my car and sleep for another hour. I would then finish out the work day and go home and be in bed by 8 or 9. 

So I went to my doctor and then a sleep specialist and there was nothing medically wrong with me. So I stopped training and the extreme exhaustion disappeared eventually. But I was still tired.

Then after I shattered my shoulder skiing and the injury healed I noticed at night my arm would go numb. So I would wake up because of the numbness. Then to top it off I started walking up in the morning with tender spots from where I was sleeping. 

A friend suggested I get a mattress topper and after a few weeks I found one and purchased it. It did help but I was still not getting a good night sleep.

So for the last 6months to a year I’ve been looking for a new mattress. I had a fear of committing to a mattress because of my experience picking the wrong mattress. Then last weekend, Mitch and I ,ended up looking at mattress’s. I finally selected one, I think out of desperation, and luckily it was one of the cheaper ones on the floor. My thought was “well if it doesn’t work out I’m not out that much money”

All I can say is “the mattress is AMAZING!!!” 

For the first time in forever I actually sleep through the night…I’m talking, I shut my eyes and when I open them again it’s time to get up. I don’t have tender spots when I wake up anymore and my arm isn’t going numb. The best thing of all is I’m awake when the alarm goes off. There is no more 30minutes to an hour to roll out of bed and feel groggy for the next hour. 

Nope, I’m up and at um when the sun comes up (Well kinda). I have more energy and have started to run again….2.5 miles last night (really it was a run/walk but still!)and I still had energy to burn. So I played with Jack for a little bit. 

Here I thought there was something wrong with me but all I needed was a good solid night sleep. I’m really lovin my bed!!!

Think I Found It!!

At times I consider myself to be an emotional buyer. If it feels good and makes me happy inside I buy it and then there are times that I research and look and search and research some more until I'm, along with all my family and friends, are exhausted from the search.

Well, I've been obsessed with looking for my next vehicle. I know what I want but I could never find just the right vehicle that made me feel good. Ok....so maybe I am a little bit of an emotional purchaser.

Anyway, I've been looking at vehicle for at least a year. I've only been looking on line and doing research and comparing the vehicles against my list of want/needs/must haves.

After all that online research I've moved to the test drive. I narrowed it down to three or four vehicles and then finally narrowed it down to one. The Chevy Equinox!!!

But I wasn't 100% happy with it...there wasn't anything wrong with the Equinox. It appears to be a really good SUV but it didn't bring my the excitement level I was hoping for.

The the other weekend Mitch told me about the 2014 Cherokee (not the Grand Cherokee!). So I jumped on-line and I felt the excitement build as I took a looked at the previews.

As I read the information I started to check off all the things I wanted in a vehicle and there it was staring right back at me.

Here is a picture of the 2014 Cherokee

I already called the closest Jeep location to find out when I can test drive and it won't be until October. Don't be fooled I still have the Chevy Equinox as a second option until I test drive the Cherokee.

I have to color picked out and everything. I'm getting it in Blue....I can't wait! Will keep you posted on the progress when October rolls around.....ugh, this may be a really long year!