2011 Monument Ave. 10K = Complete!

Waking up at 6:45 isn't usually a pleasant thing to do on a Saturday morning....that is, unless you're super excited for a race!!! As you all know, I've been anticipating this day for several months now, so it was totally refreshing to wake up, gobble up some Special K with skim milk (my personal favorite "Breakfast of Champions" haha), put on my running gear, and start my 1.4 mile walk to Monroe Park.

(Please excuse the poor quality...my digital camera finally kicked the bucket and my new one isn't supposed to come in until Monday, so I had to resort to my BlackBerry camera).

I'm not normally this awake before 7:45 on a Saturday! LOL

I checked my bag (obviously can't go anywhere without my cell phone, chapstick/lipgloss, and keys haha), and then headed a few more blocks over to Broad to wait with the other 40,000 runners. It was quite a long wait, since I had arrived around 8:20 (the first wave started at 8:30), and my wave wasn't supposed to start until 9:16....what can I say? I like to be early for things that I'm excited about, and apparently thousands of other people felt the same way! :)  This is the first race I've run in that used chip timing, and I am definitely a fan! Anticipating a gun shot to start a race always makes me feel like I'm gonna throw up....I blame that on my years of track & cross country. So, after what seemed like forever, Wave QA approached the starting line, then before I knew it, we were off! I was near the front of the wave, but about 2 blocks in, I could feel my knee brace sliding off my knee, so I had to make 2 very quick stops to try and fix it. By the end of the race, I think it was acting as more of a calf brace, but I finally decided to suck it up and quit wasting time trying to adjust it. As I told my Mom on the phone during my walk back to my apt., I think it's time to buy new knee braces that use straps instead of the pull-on one that I've been using.

Aside from the knee brace annoyance, the race was pretty awesome! The live bands and cheering spectators made it lots of fun! The one thing I learned for next year is that it's not a good idea to sign up for a slower wave than what you're capable of running just to stay on the safe side. Even though I knew I should finish under 60 minutes (notwithstanding a bad injury or an act of God), I signed up for a 61-65 min. wave, thinking that it would be better to run at the front of a slower wave than at the back of a faster one. The result: I got stuck in more bottlenecks than I've ever seen at Capital Ale House! The joggers who signed up for the faster waves were spread out everywhere across Monument, so those of us at a faster pace ended up zigzagging back and forth just to get through them. Not a huge deal, just something that could have been somewhat avoided if I had been in an earlier wave....but at least now I know that. :)

Overall, it was an awesome experience and I ended up setting my personal best record:

During the race, I kept thinking about Dad and reminding myself to push harder because I was running this for him. And I also wanted to have a good report to give Mom and Jon when I called after the race. When I crossed the finish line, I didn't think I had improved much, if any, on my usual time, but when I got home and checked the chip time, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I had knocked about 5 minutes off of my usual 10K time. Granted, this was a very flat course and much easier than most other routes that I tend to run, but I'm still pretty satisfied overall. I hope Dad was watching....I'm pretty sure he was :)

Okay, well, as if all of the black and yellow this morning wasn't enough of a reminder, VCU's big Final Four game is tonight so I should probably start getting ready before my neighbor and I go scope out the least crowded local bar to watch the game. Let's Go Rams!!!!

Long Overdue Update...Monument 10K is almost here!

I just finished baking and icing strawberry cupcakes for a work friend's birthday tomorrow and I remembered that I haven't posted anything on here since Dad died, so I figured a new post was long overdue. On that note, it doesn't seem possible that he's been gone for a little over 2 months now....we miss him soooo much :(  Everyone says it gets easier with time, but I'm still not convinced. It's true that the tears don't come quite as often, but even thinking about the happy memories makes me sad when I realize that those are the only memories we have to hold on to for the rest of our lives until we see him again in Heaven. Sometimes when I don't feel like being sad, I try to push the thoughts out of my head, but then I realize that it's good to think about him as much as possible, since those memories are the only ones we have and I never ever want them to fade.

On a happier note, I'll be running in the Monument Avenue 10K this Saturday in honor of Dad! Feel free to check out my Massey Challenge page here. After a couple of decent training runs last week, my "good" knee decided to start giving me problems, so I took the past few days off to hopefully give it a rest so it will be fresh for the race this weekend. As usual, Mom keeps telling me not to push it too hard, and that I shouldn't run if my knee issues continue flaring up, but she knows I'm a stubborn one and when I sign up for a race, I'm going to finish it, even if I have to limp across the finish line. Hopefully that won't be the case though! Haha. Of course, next Saturday is going to be an especially epic day for Richmond, since now in addition to the 40,000 runners making their way down Monument Avenue that morning, VCU will be playing in the Final Four of the NCAA Tourney!!! Obviously, I'm a lifelong, dedicated JMU fanatic and my allegiance will always be with my beloved Dukes no matter what, but living in the middle of Richmond amidst all of the VCU hype is kind of contagious! Plus, it makes perfect sense to support the only Virginia team in the Final Four! This city has come alive with VCU fever....walking down the street in the Fan, bypassers shout "VCU! VCU! VCU!" Cars drive past with the windows rolled down, honking their horns continuously while the driver shouts "Go Rams!!!" All of the restaurants and storefronts are decked out with VCU banners and Rams' horns. Richmond is just buzzing with basketball fever and it's a blast!

In other news, my good friend and former D.C. roommate flew up from Georgia to visit me several weekends ago. We had a blast doing some touristy things that even I hadn't done yet, as well as spending time at some local Richmonder hangouts that I've grown fond of over the past year.

 Carytown!

 Maymont Park

George Washington statue in the Capitol

Another Carytown shot

Speaking of that, it's crazy to think that I've lived in Richmond for over a year now! Even though my long-term job stability is entirely dependent on the voters of Virginia (among other factors), and I have no idea what path my life may take in 2.5 years, if things work out, I could definitely see myself staying in Richmond for a while. My neighborhood is awesome for running, super convenient for walking to all sorts of great restaurants, and only a short drive away from Downtown. I've made some wonderful friends here, and I've finally found a church that seems to be the right fit for me. The only downside is being 2 hours away from my incredible family and friends back home, but luckily that's close enough to allow for frequent weekend drives back to the Valley.

For those of you who chose to give up something for Lent, you probably know that we're just about halfway through. One of my good friends at work and I share an addiction for ice cream, and before the Lenten season began, we had a tendency to be bad influences on each other by taking afternoon field trips to various ice cream shops (not to mention our unsuccessful quest to find Shamrock Shakes in Richmond....luckily both of our respective hometown Mickey D's came through for us and we were able to enjoy our favorite March treat during the weekend before Fat Tuesday). In the midst of our ice cream ventures, I started feeling guilty for completely reversing any minuscule results that I should have been achieving at the gym, so he suggested that it would be appropriate for us to give up ice cream for Lent, and I agreed wholeheartedly. However, I had already intended to give up chocolate, which I did successfully 2 years ago. So, deciding that I couldn't bail out on my original plan, I decided to combine the two and gave up ice cream AND chocolate. I figured it wouldn't be too hard...just have to keep both of those items out of my kitchen and desk and I should be fine. Sounds easy enough, right? On the Thursday after Lent began, unaware of my decision to give up chocolate, my boss walked in to the office and put a full carton of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans on my desk (there is almost always a supply of these on my desk, thanks to my obsession that one of my favorite people instilled in me right after I moved here, and that I have since shared with several of my friends in the office). As if this wasn't enough temptation, he completely restocked his candy dish with Hershey's miniatures (including my fave dark chocolate!!!). And then, several days later, when I was convinced that my will power was stronger than these temptations, my boss plopped two boxes of Girl Scout cookies on my desk! The Thin Mints tormented me for the few days that they lasted, but I was good and didn't give in. Lucky for my friend and I, a new frozen yogurt place just opened up in Carytown about a month or so ago, so we can still get our frozen dessert fix without cheating on our Lenten promise. Sweet Frog is by far my new favorite guilty pleasure (but most of the flavors are non-fat, and I top it with fruit so it's not too terribly unhealthy...or at least that's what I keep telling myself haha). They have a whole wall full of flavors from cake batter (my absolute fave!) to bubble gum to mango. 

The best part about Sweet Frog, aside from the delicious yogurt, is that it is a Christian-run business! FROG stands for "Fully Rely On God." Love it!!!!

Well, on that note, I should probably sign off and get some sleep. Gotta get up a tad bit earlier than usual to go decorate someone's office for her birthday! :)

Have a wonderful week, y'all!

Every Day, It's Sinking In....

Last Thursday evening started off much like any typical Thursday night in Richmond during session...after leaving work, I accompanied a good friend to a reception at the Jefferson Hotel. Then we headed back Downtown to the Tobacco Company for Thursday Night Caucus, which is a fun weekly session tradition in which legislators, LAs, lobbyists, and others in the political arena gather together to enjoy drinks and each other's company before the week wraps up. I spent most of the evening gabbing with a few good friends and my former roommates, as well as other LAs who I worked with at the General Assembly last year. The group I was sitting with established that the working world must be wearing on us, because by 10 p.m., we were all already pretty tired and getting ready to call it a night. It wasn't quite 10:30 when I noticed that my cell phone was vibrating in my purse, so I hurried to dig it out. The caller ID showed that it was Jon, so I answered and said “Hey Jon! I'm at caucus and it's super loud in here. Can I call you back later?” He said that was fine, but for me to call him as soon as I got back to my apartment. So, I took my sweet time, finishing up conversations and telling friends good-night. I finally arrived home about half an hour later, called Jon back, apologized for blowing him off, he asked about caucus and we made small talk for a little bit. Finally, he double-checked to make sure I was indeed back at my apartment. I assured him that I had literally just walked in the door and was hanging up my coat, he took a deep breath and began with “Well, I'm sure you probably know why I'm calling....”

For the past few months, every time I saw Mom or Jon's name pop up on my caller ID, my stomach flipped and I braced myself for the worst, and then breathed a sigh of relief once I realized that was not the news they were calling to tell me. But on Thursday when that was indeed the phone call that I'd been dreading, I wasn't expecting it. I'm so thankful to my bro that he wanted to make sure that I was safely home before delivering the news, but felt bad for making him wait 30 minutes to tell me.

As odd as it might seem, I didn't really even cry at first. I wanted to, but for the first time since Dad's diagnosis, the tears didn't come. I just sat there on my bed, shaking, yet numb, and hugging my favorite stuffed animal as tightly as I possibly could (yes I'm 23 and still sleep with a stuffed animal....Disney's Stitch, the adorable blue alien to be precise...and I've admittedly needed to hug him a lot since August...maybe I'll grow up one day).

For anyone who knows me well, it's probably needless to say that the not being able to cry part didn't last too long. I sat there for a while, not moving, just staring blankly at the floor, clutching onto Stitch while a million thoughts ran through my head, wanting more than anything to be at home with Mom and Jon. I finally managed to fall asleep sometime after 1:30, then woke up early and started throwing things into my suitcase. After stopping by the office for a few minutes on Friday morning, I hit 64-W and headed home. The two-hour drive, combined with an assortment of songs on the radio, provided lots of time for reflection as fond memories filled my head, coupled with thoughts of the last few times that I spent with my dad, including the very last time that I saw him, on Monday afternoon when I left to head back to Richmond.

As friends and family have visited over the past few days, lots of stories and memories of Dad have been shared. From tales of his hunting adventures to memories of him working at his beloved hardware store, these are the stories that will live on through those of us that he has left behind. I am grateful for these memories and so proud of the many lives that Dad touched over the years.

It's tough coming to grips with the fact that he's really gone and realizing that he won't be there for any of our life events in the future. He won't be there to walk me down the aisle if/when I get married. We won't get to tell him about career changes, ask his advice for big life decisions, see him smile and laugh at funny moments (he had the best smile and laugh!). I know he'll be looking down and watching us from heaven, but it's still hard and painful beyond words.

Despite the sad time that Mom, Jon, myself, and the rest of Dad's extended family and friends are going through right now, the outpouring of support over the past few days has been incredible! I feel so blessed and loved beyond measure by all of the wonderful people in my life who have visited, called, emailed, sent flowers, food, let us know they are praying for us, and offered their support in so many ways! Love you all SO very much! God's comforting touch through each of you is what's keeping us strong and getting us through this together.

As much as we love and miss him, Dad is in a much better place, free from the pain and suffering that he endured for so many years. I smile to think about him seeing Jesus face to face, and being reunited with my grandparents and everyone else who was there to welcome him to Heaven. 

In case you were wondering, I've been bawling my eyes out pretty much the entire time that I've been writing this, and I'm sorry if this post has made you do the same. Tonight, I just finally got the courage to put my raw thoughts and emotions into words, and thought I would share them in case anyone was interested in reading them. Regardless, writing always makes me feel better, so it is what it is.

Save A Place for Me by Matthew West has been by far the most soothing, yet heart wrenching song for me during this difficult time. I've been listening to it on repeat for the past few days and no matter how many times I play it, it never gets old. In case you haven't heard it, I've posted the video below. I also included the lyrics, because they are spot on with how I'm feeling right now:

Don't be mad if I cry
It just hurts so bad sometimes
'Cause everyday it's sinking in
And I have to say goodbye all over again
You know I bet it feels good to have the weight of this world off your shoulders now
I'm dreaming of the day when I'm finally there with you

Save a place for me
Save a place for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon
Save a place for me
Save some grace for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon

I have asked the questions why,
But I guess the answer's for another time.
So instead I'll pray with every tear,
And be thankful for the time I had you here.

And I wanna live my life just like you did
Make the most of my time just like you did
And I wanna make my home up in the sky
Just like you did
Oh, but until I get there
Until I get there

Well, I hope you enjoyed that song as much as I do. Thanks so much for reading, but now it's time to wipe away the tears and think happy thoughts....it's what Dad would want for all of us.

Much love to you all,

Juliana

 

Father's Day 2010

Family Pic - August 2010

 

Christmas 2010

We Love You, Always & Forever, Dad!!!!

Please Help Me "Put Cancer On the Run!"

I don't know about you all, but I'm not a huge fan of the cold weather that comes with winter. So, naturally, I'm already looking ahead to the spring! In addition to the warmer weather, I'm looking forward to running in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K on April 2nd! I signed up several weeks ago and I've already started training for it, (at the gym that is, not outside in the cold weather, ha!), but I still have quite a long way to go to get my time down to where I want it to be. I'm really excited to be taking part in this annual Richmond event, along with the other 40,000 runners and walkers! People wear costumes, bands play, and cheering supporters line Monument as the runners pass by, followed by a Post-Race Festival in Monroe Park. (And I bet you non-runners didn't think a 10K race could be much fun! :P)

Putting the fun aspects of the race aside for a moment, on a more serious note, I've designated my run to benefit the VCU Massey Cancer Center. In case anyone is curious, the Massey Cancer Center is "one of just 66 cancer centers out of 1,500 nationwide designated by the National Cancer Institute to help lead and shape our nation’s fight against cancer." This is a wonderful cause, and it's one that is especially meaningful to me this year, since I'll be running in honor of my dad, who has been battling cancer since August.

Below is a link to my Run 4 Massey page:

 
Juliana's Run 4 Massey 2011 Page

Please check it out and consider helping out a great cause that is very dear to my heart, now more than ever. Also, if anyone is interested in joining my team and running with me, definitely let me know. The more the merrier!!! :)

Thanks for reading and stay warm!

Counting My Blessings As Thanksgiving 2010 Approaches

I don't know about you, but around this time every year, it seems like I'm never prepared for how fast Thanksgiving just seems to sneak right up on us. Leaves start changing color, pumpkin spice lattes come back in season, hoodie/sweater weather arrives, and Halloween comes and goes. Alas, the Thanksgiving season is upon us once again, and after a half day of work tomorrow morning, I will be hitting the road and heading home to the Valley to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

Do you remember back to those days in elementary and middle school when this time of year rolled around and your teachers asked you to write a list or draw a picture of things you were thankful for? It seemed so routine back then. The teacher would hand you a construction paper cut-out shaped like a turkey, leaf, pumpkin, or even a cornucopia. Then you would list one word responses as they came to mind. From what I can remember, mine typically went something like this: "I am thankful for...my family, friends, food, clothes, shelter..." Granted, the list probably became a bit more elaborate as I got older, but you get the idea. Then, the teacher would display what we were thankful for on a hallway bulletin board for others to see.

It's kind of funny to me that now, many years later, I was just thinking about this for whatever the reason. In the adult world, I feel like it's so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day affairs, that we oftentimes forget to stop and realize how blessed we really are. Please don't think for a second that I'm pointing fingers here. I'll be the first to admit that I am guilty of this far too often. Sometimes I think it's almost like we have this sense of entitlement....the notion that "I deserve to have a great job...I went to college" or "I deserve to go out to dinner several nights a week....I work hard all day!" But whenever those thoughts pop into our heads, we need to push them aside and remember that these things are not entitlements, but rather, they are blessings from God, and they can be taken away from us just as quickly as He gave them to us. 

I took a women's studies course during my junior year at JMU (it turned out to be a terrible idea on my part, but I thought it was going to be an easy A, and by the time I realized that the opposite was true, there were no other electives left that would fit in my schedule. I painfully tolerated the class and did a LOT of lip biting, and did manage to pull out an A in the end, but I digress). I remember one topic that was discussed in that class quite frequently was the idea of oppression of certain groups in society (for brevity's sake, I will not elaborate on this, as it will likely throw me into a tangent). One of the discussion topics that my professor brought up (and many in the class sided with her on) was the idea that it is wrong for you or me to refer to ourselves as being "blessed," because that insinuates that we think we're better and more deserving of gifts/material wealth/social & economic stature/social acceptance/etc. than oppressed individuals/groups. I honestly can't recall a statement from a professor in my entire 3.5 years of college that made me feel more angry/upset/violated/hurt than that moment. How can anyone possibly be of the notion that it's selfish to consider yourself BLESSED?!?!?!  Is anyone else on board with me in thinking that it's beyond selfish to consider ourselves as anything BUT blessed?! There are certainly plenty of less fortunate individuals in the world, but God expects us to use our blessings to help those in need.

So, while I still ended up going off on the tangent that I had intended to avoid, hopefully you can still see my point. We are never too young or old, too rich or poor, too busy or bored, too hurt or depressed to stop counting our blessings. Therefore, I'd like to take a few moments to expand upon my elementary school assignment and share what I'm thankful for with you. And yes, I realize that I posted a similar list back in the summer after my surgery, but in my opinion, you can also never count your blessings too often! :)

I'm thankful for.....

• a wonderful, strong, and loving family and great friends who are always here for me through everything
• being able to spend Thanksgiving with my family, especially God's blessing of letting Dad spend one more Thanksgiving with us, and his determination not to adhere to what the doctors predicted
• faith. I have absolutely no idea how anyone manages to get through life without it.
  
• good, soul-soothing music. Songs with lyrics that tug at your heartstrings and remind you of special/fond memories. Maybe that's a weird thing to be thankful for, however, I've been dealing with some pretty painful stuff in my life lately, and the music really helps. I don't like silence, especially when I'm by myself with lots of time to think, so the likes of Daughtry, Jon McLaughlin, John Mayer, Lifehouse, Five For Fighting, Josh Wilson, Matthew West, and Chris Tomlin have all been dominating my playlists lately. There's nothing quite like a song that fully expresses exactly how you're feeling at any given moment in time.
• having a job that I enjoy and the best bosses/coworkers/friends that I could possibly ask for!
• overall good health, positive follow-up reports at the retinal specialist, and a diagnosis for my knee injury so it can start healing
• forgiveness. Goodness knows I've made well beyond my share of mistakes, so it sure is refreshing to know that with a simple prayer for forgiveness, God wipes the slate clean
• great memories and the people who experienced them with me. Even when you're going through a sad or painful time, all it takes is one sweet memory to make you smile :)
• concerts & football games
  
• fun times, laughter, & every moment of every day that brings happiness to the people I care about :)
  

The is certainly not even close to being an exhaustible list, but alas, I need to start packing for the holiday weekend. As usual, thanks so much for taking the time to read my ramblings. I would love to hear what you're thankful for if you're willing to share, but either way, on Thursday, when you're about to dig into that turkey (or tofurkey, since my coworkers have been picking on me about that for the past week or two), don't forget to stop and remember what the holiday is actually about. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!!!! :)

Brrr it's Fall....the perfect time of year for cooking with Pumpkin!!!!

Wow, I've certainly been slacking big-time on my plan to update this thing more often. Oops!  Well, what better way to make a come back than by sharing a recipe that I just concocted about an hour ago! One of my favorite things to do when I have the time is to experiment in the kitchen. Whether trying out a brand new recipe, tweaking an old one, or just perusing my cabinets and concocting something out of the ingredients that I have on hand, cooking experiments are oh so much fun! Fall recipes are my absolute favorite (especially ones that include pumpkin or butternut squash!), and since my pantry was already well-stocked with canned pumpkin, tonight I decided to raid my spice cabinet and create a new pumpkin soup recipe. Certain people tend to think that I have unique tastebuds, so this recipe might not be ideal for many of you, but if you do decide to try it out, please share your feedback! :)

Juliana’s Homemade Pumpkin Soup Recipe

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (15 oz.) cans pure pumpkin
• 2 1/2 cups organic low-sodium vegetable broth (from 32 oz. carton)
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup nonfat half & half
• 1 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch cajun seasoning
• 1 large pinch chili powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in pumpkin, vegetable broth, milk, half & half, bay leaf, and maple syrup. Add garlic powder, cajun seasoning, chili powder, parsley, black pepper, and salt.

Bring mixture to boiling, then turn back down and simmer on low for about 15 minutes, or until heated through and of desired consistency (mine was pretty thick, but that's how I prefer it). Remove bay leaf from soup and serve.

Makes approx. 4 servings

The final product....fresh off the stove-top

I garnished mine with more parsley and freshly ground black pepper (Can you tell I'm a little obsessed with freshly ground black pepper?....I think I enjoy using the grinder too much! Haha).

Be Thankful :)

Well, it's certainly been quite a while since I posted on here and I apologize for being such a slacker. Needless to say, A LOT has happened during my 2 month blogging sabbatical! I won't bore you with my typical rambling stories detailing every aspect of that time frame, but here are a few highlights: After my tireless job search last winter (which, looking back, I apologize for complaining about so much), in April, I was blessed to receive two job offers. Thankfully, God pointed me in the right direction to a job in Richmond that I absolutely love. My coworkers are fabulous and the work environment has proven to be exactly what I'd hoped for! I found a cute apartment in an adorable neighborhood, and have been enjoying pretending to be an adult in the sense that I now get excited about shopping for furniture and house wares, and thinking of ways to decorate my humble abode. Fun times!

It didn't take me long to adjust to my new beginning/first full-time job/really being on my own for the first time. I was quite content with the way things had been going...that is, until several weeks ago, when life decided to throw me a monkey wrench. 

It all began on Memorial Day. My boyfriend and I spent the holiday shopping at Short Pump Town Center. As we perused through various stores, I randomly started noticing lots of floaters and red and yellow flashes of light in my peripheral vision of my right eye. Despite the fact that my retinal specialist constantly warned me that these symptoms are a sure sign of another retinal hemorrhage (or worse), I shrugged it off as being paranoid, and continued shopping. Later that evening while out to dinner, I again noticed the symptoms, but yet again, decided to ignore them, convinced that I would sleep it off that night and wake up symptom free. Well, imagine my disappointment when I awoke the next morning and the first thing I noticed was a lighting bolt shaped flash of light in my eye. By this point, I had transitioned from blissfully ignorant to slightly concerned, so I did the adult thing to do and called my retinal specialist. After describing my symptoms, they scheduled an appointment for me with a specialist here in Richmond for the next afternoon. Upon heading to my appointment, I had already prepared myself to hear that I had relapsed and was suffering another retinal hemorrhage (I had the first one during my freshman year at JMU)....I would probably have to endure another round of Avastin injections in my eye, and maybe a few Visudyne (photodynamic) treatments, but I survived it before and now I knew what to expect, so this should be a cinch....or so I thought.

It turns out that the reason I was seeing all of those flashes of light was because I had experienced a retinal detachment, the doctor explained to me, and I would thus need to undergo surgery the next day. 

Okay, so I wasn't ready for that news after all. Surgery?!?! I'm the girl who didn't get her wisdom teeth cut out because I was terrified at the thought of undergoing surgery (which was okay, b/c my orthodontist assured me that I had room for them to come in...what he didn't prep me for was how painful the "coming in" process is, but I digress). Anyway, since it was scheduled for the next day, I didn't really have time to stress out about it, which was certainly for the best. 

I've rambled too much already so I will spare you the details of the surgery, but it went really smoothly and I've spent the past 2 weeks recovering. I was especially thrilled yesterday when I convinced my doctor to let me return to work tomorrow on a part-time basis. She replied with "Wow, you sure are motivated aren't you?!" considering the fact that the recovery process is supposed to take 3-4 weeks. But being the energetic and social person that I am, 2 weeks of being mostly confined to my apartment is about to drive me crazy! But anyway, the point of me telling you this lengthy story, (yes there actually is a point! haha), is not for you to feel sorry for me, but rather to serve as the backstory for the title of this post ("Be Thankful"). Admittedly, I laid around for the first couple of days after surgery feeling sorry for myself with the typical, yet pathetic, "why me?!" attitude. But being forced to lay around for 2 weeks provided lots of time for me to think and reflect upon things, and God quickly took the opportunity to change my mindset and help me realize how much I have to be thankful for. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to share with you several of the things that came to mind. 
I'm thankful...

• that God knocked some sense into my stubbornly ignorant head and prompted me to go to the doctor in time before the detachment was so bad that I lost my eyesight forever
• for all of my wonderful family & friends and all of the thoughts and prayers that they sent my way before, during, & after my surgery
• for my friend who took off from work to drive me to my appointment, waited with me so I wouldn't have to nervously await a diagnosis from a new doctor at a new clinic in a new city by myself, did his best to make me laugh and cheer me up once I heard the news of my impending surgery, emailed everyone back at the office with a status report so I wouldn't have to break the news to them, drove me home, then drove me to my surgery the next day and again waited with me until they took me in for prepping
• for my boyfriend who spent countless hours helping to take care of me, keeping me company, and driving me to and from my follow-up appointments 
• for all of the flowers, cards, phone calls, visits, food, etc. from my wonderful family & friends just to remind me how much they care :)
• for my coworkers that picked up my slack while I was out and took care of a lot of stuff in my absence so I won't be overwhelmed with work when I return tomorrow
• that the surgery went smoothly with no complications
• for so many blessings in my life that God has given me to be thankful for!

Isn't it awesome how God can take an overwhelming and difficult event and turn it into something so positive?! And while there are a million more things that I am thankful for, there's one more that I want to discuss here; I'm thankful for my eyesight. 

Since I was a kid up until 2 weeks ago, I always wondered why I had to be the unlucky one with the thick glasses, special contacts, and the designation of being "one of the most nearsighted patients" at every eye doctor's office that I've ever visited. This used to really bother me and I dreamed of the day when I could have corrective surgery so that I could at least wear normal glasses and contacts. Now, don't get me wrong, I still hope to have the surgery one day, but my 2 weeks (and more to come) of being totally dependent on only one eye has given me a new perspective on things. At least I have the comfort of knowing that in several weeks, my eye will heal, and with an increased prescription, I should be able to see pretty well out of it again. But my temporary predicament has given me a whole new respect for how blind people go about their daily lives. I frequently found myself complaining about how bored I was just laying around my apartment with nothing that I could do besides sleeping, listening to music or audiobooks, or talking on the phone. Watching TV or movies was too strenuous on my good eye, and I found that even simple tasks require a certain level of depth perception that just one eye doesn't provide. And although over the past few days I've managed to walk safely to the post office, pharmacy, and library by myself, watching for traffic with limited peripheral vision can prove to be an interesting task. So if these things are this difficult and nerve-racking for me, I can't begin to imagine what a blind person endures in his or her lifetime. I know people say that your other senses learn to compensate for the loss of another, but I'm here to tell you that undergoing that transitional process is not as simple or painless as it may sound. So, now I realize that despite the fact that I may need thick glasses or special contacts in order to see, at least my vision is correctable. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would be more than happy to wear thick glasses, or any other visual aid that may be deemed socially unattractive, if it would only grant them the ability to see God's beautiful creation.

Anyway, getting back on topic, I'll wrap up by saying that I'm thankful that God granted me a speedy recovery and that I get to return to work tomorrow! On that note, I should probably be getting ready for bed soon, considering that I actually have a daily schedule to get used to following again. So I will leave you with a challenge....the next time you are faced with an unexpected hardship or bump in the road, try to take a moment or two to stop and reflect on the situation and see if you can find something to be thankful for. Chances are, once you find one thing, the list will just keep growing from there! :)

Thanks for sticking around to read this ridiculously long post to the very end! Goodnight and God bless you! :)

George Strait Touched My Hand!!!!! :D

In keeping with my concert-going trend as discussed in my previous post, I checked another phenomenal show off of my list last night. Don't worry, I haven't already abandoned my aforesaid intention of cutting back on shows until I find a job... It just so happens that Jon's Christmas gift to Mom and I this year was 4 tickets (2 each) to the George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Lee Ann Womack concert at JPJ. The show was originally scheduled for January 31st, however, that concert date just happened to fall smack-dab in the middle of one of the various snow storms that hit Virginia this winter, so the show was rescheduled for yesterday evening. Unfortunately, Mom wasn't able to enjoy her gift, as she ended up having to stay home to take care of my father after he suffered a recent setback due to his Multiple Sclerosis. :( Although bummed out that Mom couldn't join us, my brother, my boyfriend, and I met up in Charlottesville for a tasty pre-concert dinner at Mellow Mushroom (which has become a favorite spot over the last few years, since its menu caters to my "tree-hugging vegetarian" diet by offering hummus, tofu, and lots of veggie options, as well as pleasing my bro's carnivorous tastes with the likes of the infamous "Mighty Meaty" pizza. After dinner, we headed over to JPJ and started getting pumped for the concert.

Somehow, Jon always manages to get fantabulous seats for shows....we were on the floor for the Jimmy Buffett show last fall, then lower tier for John Mayer, and 4th row off the floor last evening....however, there was a super exciting perk to our seats last night: We just so happened to be seated directly beside the entryway where the performers entered and exited the arena!!! So, we got a perfect view of Lee Ann, Reba, and George as the security guards led each of them past us toward the stage!

Lee Ann Womack opened the show and got things off to a great start! Admittedly, I'm not a huge follower, so I had never heard several of the songs that she sang, but she sounded awesome, nonetheless! As expected, she wowed the house with "I Hope You Dance," and I especially enjoyed singing along with "Last Call" and "Ashes By Now."

Next, the stunningly gorgeous redhead took the stage and gave a dynamic performance! I was thoroughly impressed as Reba exhibited all of the qualities of a true entertainer. She captured the audience with an all-star combination of her glowing personality, band interaction, upbeat dancing, and (last but definitely not least) her incredible voice. She dazzled with older favorites like "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia," "Why Haven't I Heard From You," "The Fear of Being Alone," etc. Then, naturally mixed it up with some songs from her newest album, including "Strange," "Consider Me Gone," "I'll Have What She's Having," and her current single "I Keep On Lovin' You" (written by Ronnie Dunn). Midway through Reba's portion of the show, Lee Ann came back and joined her for a stunning duet performance of "Do You Love Me?" (originally recorded with Linda Davis). Even Reba's former co-star and current host of The Singing Bee, Melissa Peterman (who played Barbara Jean on the Reba sitcom), stopped by for a quick comedy bit leading up to the performance of the show's theme song, "I'm A Survivor."

As Reba left the stage prior to her encore performance, it was blatantly obvious to the audience which hugely popular song had been left out...Minutes later, the jumbotron began playing a clip from a 1990 music video that opened with Reba sitting in the back of a taxi cab, staring out the window while donning huge 80's style sunglasses and a fur coat....I think most of you probably know where this is going. Immediately, a smaller scale model of a taxi cab drove slowly by us toward the stage, then stopped, and Reba jumped out of the passenger side door in a red-sequined dress and matching heels, then she returned to the stage to join her band on "Fancy." Needless to say, Reba sure knows how to make an entrance!!!! (not to mention ending her part of the show on the highest note possible)!

Then, after a brief intermission, it was time for the King of Country (not to mention the world record holder for the most #1 hit singles!) to take the stage. Yet again, another great mix of classics and newer songs. He included hits from his newest "Twang" album, including the title track, along with "Where Have I Been All My Life," and "Living for the Night." He also pleased with "Seashores of Old Mexico," "She'll Leave You With A Smile," "Give It Away," and "Troubadour." But of course, the crowd favorites were the oldies: "Check Yes or No," "Amarillo By Morning," "The Chair," "Heartland," "Ocean Front Property," and "I Cross My Heart" (the hit song from Strait's box office hit, Pure Country). I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed that he didn't sing some of my other favorites: "Carrying Your Love With Me," "Write This Down," "I Get Carried Away," or "Blue Clear Sky," but as we discussed after the show, when you have 57 number one hits, plus a new album to promote, that gives you no choice but to leave out some popular tunes.

The absolute highlight of my night, (which I'm sure you've already guessed by now, based on the title of this post, lol), came after George finished his encore performance and headed off the stage. He veered off path a bit to touch the hands of his adoring fans along the first and second rows of neighboring sections, then headed for the exit....but I was ready! I had been plotting my move all evening, so I jumped over Jon (okay okay, so I didn't literally jump over him...in fact, he moved aside quite willingly for me, but jumped just sounded so much more epic!) so I would be standing directly against the side-rail of the stands. I stretched out my left hand, yelled "We love you George!" (which I'm pretty sure he didn't hear, considering the loud roar from all of the cheering fans in the arena), and he reached over and touched my hand for a full second (just to clarify that it wasn't one of those quick hand slaps like when players on high school sports teams do the whole generically nonenthusiastic "good game" lines after a match-up). After he released my hand and exited the arena, I turned around to Jon and Scott, jumped up and down in my typical mondo-excited manner, and screamed like a little kid. The way I see it, you're never too old to show genuine excitement over events like this! :) As we headed up the stairs to leave the arena, I texted Mom to tell her about this unforgettable experience....Since she couldn't be there to experience it with me, I wanted her to at least be the first person I shared my story with!

So, while this may be my last concert post for a while (unless the tides turn in my job search anytime soon), it was an incredible show, and I highly encourage other country music fans to check out the show if it comes near you.

Hope you all had a blessed and Happy Easter!!!! :)