You Have To Laugh

my clever blog title explained:

In light of Shelley's week (thanksgiving week will forever be Shelley week) I thought I'd share the story.

A few years ago Shelley and I joined Carol, Paul, and the boys on a trip to Orlando. Shelley's ALS had recently begun progress more rapidly and she was in a stage between a walker and a new motorized scooter. She hadn't been using the scooter for long and she could still get around with out it so she wasn't very used to it. One night after a long day at the amusement parks we were all unwinding by the pool. It was late and the boys had gone to bed and I was lingering up reading. The "adults" (hehe) stayed out late by the pool drinking multiple glasses (or bottles?) of wine. Shelley drank her wine through a straw from the comfort of her new scooter.

When they finally decided to go to bed we encountered a slight problem. As some of us may have experienced when sitting down for a long time consuming alcohol, the effects tend to hit us pretty hard when we get up. So when Carol and I went to help Shelley out of her scooter and into bed we discovered that the combination of her recent alcohol consumption and her progressing ALS had rendered her absolutely incapable of helping us get her into bed. We tried many different creative strategies but we just could not get Shelley into that bed without almost dropping her. Each failed attempt caused us all to collapse in a fit of laughter at our predicament.

It was the kind of laughter thats so uncontrollable its crippling. Your start slowly not really knowing why your laughing and before you know it you cant stop. Your laughing so completely that you cant finish sentences, your not strong enough to lift anything, or think about any new strategic plans. The situation is just too funny and you almost don't want it end so that you can just go on laughing about it forever. In the midst of our giggles we somehow managed to plop shelley down on the edge of the bed and we all collapsed on the bed together laughing at ourselves. And through Shelley's giggles she managed to say,

"It's not funny. It's not. But you have to laugh. You just have to laugh. What else can you do?"

And she did. We all did.

There was, of course, nothing funny about ALS draining the feeling from her limbs and making it necessary for us to help her into bed. But Shelley was right. No matter what your going through, you just have to laugh. You have to enjoy every minute of your life and find a reason to smile at every situation.

So laugh often, laugh truly, and laugh deeply. For Shelley, for everyone we've lost, and for yourself.

And if you need something to laugh at right now... here you go:

Laugh it up fuzzballs<3

Thanksgiving Break

I am writing to you guys as I struggle through a crippling food coma that has lasted several days now. I am currently experiencing  side effects that include but are not limited to: a strong aversion to anything that requires me to physically move, thoughts of dropping out of college to live on moms couch forever in order to avoid my projects looming deadlines, and an unyielding desire to continue feasting on the very things that put me in this sorry state until not even crumbs remain. And I have to tell you, I don't hate it.


On a much more active and motivated note, I did my half marathon last week! I ran 13. 67 miles in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I will now need a hip  replacement before I am of legal drinking age but it was totally worth it. No starting gun, no crowds cheering, no water cups handed to me, no finish line. It was a good feeling knowing I am capable of motivating myself to to accomplish something like that without all the hype of a giant road race.


Barb told us a story at Aunt Shelley's memorial about when her and Shelley had run a race together. Barb was a big runner at the time and Shelley was a little less prepared for the challenge. As they struggled through the last stretch of the race Barb lightheartedly suggested, "why don't we finish it off with a sprint to the finish line?" to which Shelley angrily replied through gasps for air, "Don't you think I would if I could!?"


While I struggled through my run I remembered Shelley's exasperated comment and ran with a huge smile on my face:)


My last training run before I did my half was at the hillsborough river state park about 20 minutes from tampa. It was beautiful! I ran on deserted trails deep in the woods on the banks of a beautiful river. A herd of deer ran across my path no more than 15 feet in front of me! I also saw an armadillo (are they blind? cause he was basically walking on top of my feet) and I ran past the same coyote twice! I just looked at it and smiled because what the heck are you supposed to do when you see a coyote 15 feet away?! girl scouts did not teach me that. Apparently he had already eaten breakfast though because I lived to tell the tale.

I noticed that it is so much easier for me to run in the woods than on the paved road. There is so much more to look at and you have to be watch your every step to distract you from the fact that you have 8 more miles to run. I think there is an important life lesson in that; Don't look too far ahead. The distant future and the things you have to accomplish there can be overwhelming and discouraging at times. It can create self doubt, cause you second guess your direction and wonder if maybe you should search for an easier path or just turn back altogether. Look instead at what is right beneath your feet. You will be able celebrate the success at having just jumped cleanly over a log and learn quickly from any missteps or trips. This makes you more concentrated, confident and driven. You know where your going, you know your going to get there, but your not thinking about that. Your just thinking about your next step. Taylor Swift pandora station also helps.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)


Back to reality...

Happiness

Tonight i was thinking and this is what came of those thoughts:


Happiness does not just happen. it is an achievement. It is the direct result of your ability to appreciate the good things in your life and your efforts to better yourself, your situation, and all your surroundings. So be kind, be thoughtful and be patient because happiness at the expense of any others is superficial and short lived but happiness achieved through hard work is long lasting and contagious.


That's my two cents. You heard it here first:) and for my 11/11/11 wish I wish that all of you are happy.


Night xo

Just Sayin...

Last night at the bar i met a man from Germany who sounded EXACTLY like this cartoon character. So much so that even though I haven't seen the movie in probably a year as soon as he said three words I looked at him shocked and said, "oh my god. your that caterpillar. "

I'm still not convinced he didn't do the voiceover for this movie. Just Sayin.


Happy 11/11/11!!! This could be the luckiest day of my life so I'm going downtown for the farmers market to get it started

Miles to Run and Cookies to Bake

Good Morning! (yes its still morning at 11:40 when your in college)


I just left my finance class and settled into this beautiful little nook to study for my huge marketing test at 2

so naturally, I open my laptop and decide to write to you guys instead.


My immediate resort to procrastination is especially amusing today because my finance teacher's closing words as she let our class out were, "Work hard. This will make or break you." in regards to our upcoming test this Tuesday. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was training to use the force as a Jedi Knight to defend the republic. She should take herself more seriously huh?


Miles to Run.
I was planning on running a half marathon on November 20th down here but since the cheapest flight home was on November 17th I've had to revise my plan. Even though I have been totally slacking and my training is nowhere near the level it was before my last half marathon I've decided to run a half marathon. by myself. on my own route. This wednesday. I had to make it official with all of you because now I have to do it and if I didn't then I would have no motivation to keep running after mile 10 since no one would know I failed. But since you all know now I have finish it and i will post my results via iMapMyRun:)


It might take me four hours but in my defense its hard to train down here! You cant run in the middle of the day cause its hot as hell and theres no air to breathe. So that leaves wicked early in the morning or late at night. Early in the morning sounds great right? until your alarm goes off at 6am and scares the shit out of you because you think its a dumptruck outside your window in the middle of the night since theres no way it could possibly be morning and time to wake up.


So that leaves running after sunset. Not sure how many of you have been to Tampa but if you don't know its not exactly the greatest place to be running around in the dark. Knowing this has given me extreme sense of paranoia. Like a, "theres a ninja around every corner" and "every trashcan is a homeless person staring at me" kind of paranoia. But the worst part of running at night is the shadows. When you see your shadows running during the day its no big deal, you just assume that through your training you have achieved Rocky status and that the children of tampa are running with you through the city. Easily explained.


However, due to street lamps, house lights, and car headlights when your running at night there is suddenly like 5 shadows following you around. And there's no way their the children of tampa because its past their bedtime so you only have one explanation really; ninjas. I am literally at very high risk for a spinal cord injury because of the amount of times my neck snaps around when I see these shadows out of the corner of my eye. These guys are quiet and sneaky and their always right on your heels. They also look just like ninjas with their toned physique and exquisite running posture.... :). Oh and not to mention the hanging spanish moss draped from the trees brushing my shoulder and feeling like the kiss of death come to take me away.


Terrifying.


So, the result is that I spend my entire run devising kick boxing combinations to defeat the enemy lurking behind every bush. Im sure this increases my stress levels ten fold but its beneficial in a way because theres no way in hell im gonna stop running under the threat of imminent death and I always run faster at night than in the day. In fact, i'm fairly certain I could run a full marathon in the middle of the night in this city, the question is whether or not I would live to tell the tale.


Cookies to Bake.

They look good don't they? They are better than you think. I got Kathy Brodsky's chocolate chip cookie recipe and for anyone who knows Kathy, your salivating right now. I made this dough last night  and ever since I have been having an brutal internal battle about whether to bake the dough or eat it raw over the next week. This thought process took place while shoveling spoonfuls of dough into my mouth of course. I have finally decided to bake the dough (what's left of it... after eating half while deciding). 

Have a good day! eat a cookie:) 

No Shave November

Who's brilliant idea was this?

Its only 5 days into november and walking around campus I already feel like I'm walking around the set of a Geico commercial. Guess what? its not hot. I wonder how guys would feel if girls decided not to shave for a month? Walking around in Florida in short shorts, little skirts and dresses, and worst of all bathing suits with 1/2 inch long hair covering their legs. Oooh how the tables would turn. I guess the benefit of this month is that I know what guys to avoid at all times. Women take notice: if you see a beard, run. Because chances are that the men who choose to look like cavemen for a month, think and act like cavemen too and are just glad to have a chance to show their true colors.


On a less aggressive note, I cant wait for thanksgiving. I went to Fresh Market yesterday and they had all these little displays of thanksgiving food and it put me in the best mood. And considering that mashed  potatoes are my favorite part of thanksgiving, this video put me in an even better mood.
"whats taters precious?!"





Im already thinking of awesome things to make for dinner, and especially dessert:) I will be flying home in less than two weeks on the 17th!! yay... no clue when I'm coming back cause I am too poor to buy a return flight until I get paid next week.. its a problem but meh. Anyone want to go hiking somewhere? I miss hills.