On the verge...

This song is up for interpretation. It has been my new favorite. I think I like it because... 1.) tomorrow kicks off my final semester at ACC. Gonna be a grown-up again with a real job soon enough. 75 days till graduation. Can't wait! 2.) I just feel like something good, something big, might be just around the corner. Is it a job? Is it an eventual apartment? Is it love? I'm not scared of #1 or 2. In fact I am quite intrigued and full of exciting for what the second half of 2010 might bring. This song echos being on the verge, the anticipation of what is coming around the corner. So as many times before, I am looking fear in the face and saying I don't care- BRING IT!

Glitter In The Air, by Pink

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face
And said I just don't care?

It's only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee, calling me sugar
You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself
Will it ever get better than tonight? Tonight

(Warning, this performance was from the Grammy's and she strips down to barely anything on, but I was fascinated by the acrobatic spinning while simultaneously singing.)

A Perfect Day!

Every once and awhile a perfect day comes along. Today was one of them. I had a fabulous workout in the morning- Body Pump and RPM ("Raw Power in Motion", a Les Mills version of Spin). The air conditioning was broke, so the workout was sweaty and intense!

Then I went to see Tere del Castillo, my massage therapist, for a fabulous massage. I haven't pampered myself with a massage for a long, long time. It was heaven. I don't know what I enjoy more, the hot washcloth on the feet, the cotton with lavender over the eyes, the eucalyptus and spearmint lotion on the neck and shoulders, or how sweet and intuative Tere is. I went to "Massage Envy" once when she was out of the country and it just wasn't the same. I told Tere I'd never cheat on her again! How come a massage feels so good? I love how utterly relaxed I feel when I walk out the door.

Following the massage I hit the pool. I have been enjoying reading leisurely the past week. No textbooks, no homework, just reading for fun. I think I was born to lounge at the pool. I alternated reading with floating in the cool water. Although this weekend I jumped off a rope swing, landing 20 feet below in the river, lounging in the water is more my style.

After next Monday, life is going to be BUSY for the next 3 months. I'm so very lucky- I have been blessed and am very grateful for days like today.

Here's to good days to help you survive when the occasional gloomy ones pop up.

How to have a busy day

Go to work from 8:00-12:00
Stand in line at the financial aid office to turn in your scholarship $$$ for an hour & 15 minutes
Go run on the treadmill for 5 miles at the gym
Relax, soak in sun, read, and dip in pool for an hour
Eat dinner with the family
Go to Institute with your favorite instructor
Watch Lost, taped earlier, therefore commercial free
Read in bed for 30 minutes
Drift off to sleep....

Then get up the next morning at 6am and work all three part-time jobs in one day!

Got to love vacation from school.

Being A Fun Girl

I don't do the rough play in the pool well, but today I tried. We had a great pool party/BBQ/ward activity at the Hancock's house. It brought back good memories of handsome men last year too. Last year I played the girl who didn't want to get in the pool, so I didn't even bring my swimsuit. This year I decided I needed to be one of the fun girls who actually got in the water and fought to get on the giant floating raft with the boys. I hate getting my head shoved under water, but I didn't want to just put my feet in, or just tan today. So I played a bit! I also threw the football across the pool a few times. My aim however is unpredictable...I almost hit a girl who was minding her own business in the hot tube, in the face! Good thing she turned away last minute. I mean I know my guns are nice, but no need to take out a girl in the process of showing off to the boys!

My advice to the girls, sometimes you need to sacrifice your hair and make up (or just get mega waterproof mascara) and get in the water and play! I wasn't trying to impress anyone specifically, but I want to be the kinda of girl who goes out and has some fun!

And now I am headed to a chick flick with 4 other girls...it is good to be well rounded!

100th Blog! Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence

Can it be? Have I shared 99 thoughts filled with the randomness in my head? Lucky you!

I just finished my last day of the semester. Two and half weeks off, then one more semester to go-4 weeks of school, 6 weeks at my final clinical rotation. This last rotation taught me a lot, it was a tough one, but a good experience. I had an especially rough day one week ago from today. I had to step outside for 5 minutes to re-collect my thoughts before finishing the day. I was thrilled when this scripture came to mind:

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God,
ye might receive the promise.
Hebrews 10:35-36

Confidence is something I felt lacking of with the rotation. It is a horrible feeling. I marched back in, and finished out the day and the week on a positive note.

I had a conversation with a good friend this week about how we hit periods of social awkwardness. Sometimes it is just hard to be confident in a large room of friends and acquaintances and all you want to do it run and hide or just stay home alone. She told me it is better to go against that pull to retreat. That is something else I would like to be more confident in. I am usually comfortable socially but have felt out of place. I shall be confident and follow her advice.

There are a lot of other areas of life that I need to be more confident in, and because of hope, I can do it. Luckily I've been blessed with tender mercies of the Lord over and over, and more recently I've seen some glimpses of promises He made me. A little preachy I know, but no less true. Confidence and patience, a re-occurring theme of 2010...more to be learn. I'm ready!

Jeffery

Meet Jeffery...

I've been calling any squirrel in our backyard "Jeffery" for the past couple years. Sometimes I throw out peanuts on the porch for Jeffery. I did however see a Blue Jay fly away with peanuts last week, so perhaps they share.

Dad got a bird feeder as part of his backyard re-invention. It is suppose to be squirrel-proof. The weight of a squirrel is suppose to bring the feeder down enough that it closes off the windows to the bird seed. However, Jeffery is too smart. Dad has tried moving the feeder away from the fence but still, Jeffery leaps from the branches above and somehow manages to outsmart the mechanics of the feeders. I caught him on two seperate occasions today. Jeffery is a smart one!