Top five reasons why Shawna is awesome

Some notes of awesomeness about my fellow blogger because we decided we should blog about such things today:

1. She is very pretty. Sometimes she smells good too.

2. She is very kind and considerate, and one of the most sympathetic people I know. Also, she always is honest and tells me when my outfit is ugly and I don't take it personally cause I'd rather know that I'm ugly than walk around looking stupid.

3. She is hilarious, and always cheers me up.

4. She is always up for adventures and is very spontaneous. Some of my best memories have been created after we decided to go on a crazy adventure.

5. She's clever. And she has very good taste in movies and music and I feel smarter for hanging out with her.

Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone.

Yesterday was the 9th anniversary of my sister's death. I was driving in my car when James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" came on the radio, and I started crying and thinking about how much I still miss and love Heather so much.

It's hard to believe that so many years have passed since that terrible night I found out that she'd died in a car crash. It was a Wednesday, the night of Party of Five's series finale. I remember because my sister had wanted me to tape it for her since she would be working late, and I was upset because the cable had went out. I never did find out what happened at the end of that show.

I remember going to school the next day because I couldn't bear being in that lonely house and witnessing my mother's broken heart. I remember crying in the bathroom and getting a nosebleed from blowing my nose too much. And then I remember telling my best friend what had happened in the hallway outside of biology class while she hugged me and cried, too. Attending my sister's funeral was the one day I missed of high school.

After all these years, I realize I will never stop mourning the loss of a life with my sister. Who would we have been today in 2009? She would have been 35... Next year I will be the age that she was when she died. I mourn not knowing her in my adult years and the deeper friendship that we could have had as we grew older together. Would I have turned into an entirely different person had my big sister been around to give me advice on dating, careers, and what not? I miss the idea of who I might have been, who we might have been together.

I wish things.

I wish I knew what to do with my life. It feels weird now to have gone from a career in which I wrote on a daily basis to not writing at all, and that could be why I've not been blogging lately. It feels weird. I've been a writer for over five years, so a complete career change is something I have to get used to. I'm afraid if I write more, I'll miss it too much.

I wish I understood people more. Boys are confusing. Life is confusing.

I wish my heart wouldn't hurt when I miss people. It is coming up on the anniversary of when one of my best pals went missing at sea, and I wish I still had her around to talk about confusing boys. I miss her every day, and I wish I knew how to deal with that.

I wish it would stop raining.

I wish I would quit being a slacker and be more hardcore about training for a marathon. There's always tomorrow...

I wish for world peace. And chocolate. And maybe vodka.

Saturday!!!

I keep having moment where I think, "I should write a blog about that."

Typically I fail to actually make this happen.

Right now I'm about to go for a lovely morning jog, and then eat a delicious sandwich with many vegetables in the park with Shawna on her lunch break. Later we shall listen to a bluegrass band.

I like weekends.

Hello.

I am sorry I never blog anymore. I promise I will start writing more for our three readers, but that might be a lie.

I love living here, as there are so many things to do like joining running clubs and exploring the wilderness and drinking beer with Shawna.

Today I went to my first group run with a running club. We ran hill sprints, and I did not die.

I love summer. I hope it stays warm out.

That is all for now. You're pretty.

Things about which I have been meaning to blog:

1. I started taking Bikram yoga classes. Hilarity has ensued.

2. I've discovered my mission in life, and it is to join the roller derby and knock bitches out.

3. I have every intention of taking an aerobic hula hooping class.

4. Moving out of a small town and into a "big" city has made my life so much more interesting!

5. My new job makes my brain hurt a little, and sometimes I feel like my brain is oozing out of my ear cause there is so much information to retain.

6. It snowed yesterday.

Darn you, Nike+!

I was all geared up to write a post about how I hit 100 miles run with my Nike+ today, but when I plugged it in my last couple runs were suddenly gone. I have no idea how. I clearly remember running them, and looking at the final screen on my ipod, and knowing that I was at over 100 miles ran.

If I lump those together with the runs during which my ipod has frozen or died, I'm actually at like 120 miles run. Thanks, Nike+, for making me feel less accomplished than I truly am.

My ipod hates me. That's the only conclusion that can be drawn from this.

Happy run-iversary to me!

I spent the night before my half marathon with my drunken friends... I was drinking water and was so hydrated by the end! The night before we went to a gay male strip club and Shawna paid a stripper to kiss my cheek--yeah, he pulled my hair, licked my neck, and moaned in my ear. It's the most action I've gotten in awhile. I probably got herpes.

So the morning of my race my hungover friends decided to just meet up with me later, thus leaving me to find my way to the race on my own. I got lost. Very lost. I almost cried a little cause I hate being lost so much. This was the same race I ran last year, for my very first 5k, so I should have been able to find it (I had directions) but I am awesome and it took me awhile. Basically I got there with enough time to pin on my race number and hit the end of the starting line to get my little self running.

I remember thinking at the 3 mile mark how weird it was that only a year ago I ran that distance and thought it was super hard and I would die. There's something to be said for that. There was a very sweaty man in front of me, and he and I kept passing each other. He seemed very competitive, which made me want to beat him. I did until the very end, when he blew by me and killed my hopes and dreams a tiny bit.

The race went along the water for awhile, and through downtown Portland, and was super pretty until around mile 6 or 7 when we came upon a little industrial area or something... it was the most boring few miles ever. We ran down a road, turned around, and ran back up it through the boring industrial area with the sun beating down on us. LAME. And very discouraging. But I decided that the faster I ran, the faster I would be finished.

The funniest part of the race came at mile 11. There I was, running along with sweat pouring off of me, wondering why my ipod was acting up (I think my sweat fried it, which is why it says I only ran 12.9 miles or whatever), and I thought to myself, "All I want in the world is a chocolate milkshake."

I couldn't get the chocolate milkshake out of my brain. Which is why when I finished, I said to everyone, "Let's go get milkshakes!" Shortly afterward I found myself eating a burger and shake for breakfast at 9 a.m. I'm so cool.

All in all, it was a super experience. The course sucked a tiny bit, but I'm really proud of myself for finishing and for coming so far in a year. Now I just have the Portland marathon next October... Every time I think about how hard it is to run 13.1 miles I wonder how the heck I'm going to run 26.2 miles! One way to find out, I guess.

Details to follow...

2:22:02 later, I finished my second half marathon! That gives me a 10:50/mile pace, which I was pretty proud of. That's 10 or so minutes faster than my last half marathon, which makes me feel like I accomplished something. Here are some photos to tide you over until I have time to actually detail the awesomeness that was my run-iversary:






Around mile 11 I decided that all I wanted in the world was a chocolate milkshake. It was post-race that I discovered that Burgerville serves burgers and shakes at 9 a.m. Best discovery ever! Also, the finish clock wasn't my real time cause it took me 4 minutes to get across the mat (it was a crowded event).

More amusing tales of running and junk food eating at a later date.

Oh, bother.

I decided to run my half marathon for my run-iversary on Sunday. Then yesterday I went for a run with my new running buddy (I love having someone to run with!) and found myself doubled over in pain with stomach cramps on the trail.

This has not left me feeling very confident. I'm really worried about finishing on Sunday--particularly cause I feel like I trained more and was in better shape for the last one.

Oh well, I guess there's only one way to find out of if this will end badly...