A Love/Hate Relationship

For the past few years I have had a love/hate relationship with running. (Generally more hating than loving). It seems, at times, no matter how good of shape I’m in…I still have piss poor runs. Why is that?

For example, last Monday I went on a run that nearly killed me. I couldn’t breathe, my feet ached, and I wanted to throw up the entire time. The next night I ran faster, harder and longer. I was a machine.

What is it that causes these crazy changes? Even when I’m in great running shape, I still have this problem. Right now I’m chalking it up to the fact that I’m “trying” to be a runner. (Last year I was a one).

I’ve also been having a big problem with one of my ankles. Right below my ankle bone on the inside of my heel gives me trouble. It usually feels as if I have a scratch or cut that is being pulled apart. There is, however, no such cut on my foot. Fortunately, getting new running shoes has greatly helped this problem, but if anyone has any insight, I would definitely appreciate it.

I guess since all I have talked about is the hate part of this relationship, I should probably mention the loving side.

I may not always love how I feel during the run, but after is always great. There’s a small pride at accomplishing something that is usually difficult for me.

I’ve also noticed in the past that when I run consistently, I don’t get sick as often, I have a higher metabolism, and I don’t feel as tired during the day.

Now, I wouldn’t consider myself a vain person, but I do love what running does to my body. My legs get nice and tone and the tummy gets a little flatter; what girl wouldn’t love that?

It is now time for a run, and I’m really curious to see how this one will be today. It’s always interesting to see on which side of the spectrum I fall in my relationship with running.

Cricket Lullabys

These past few nights I’ve been hearing something I’ve been missing over the winter months: Crickets. I know most people think crickets are annoying, but I have to disagree.

To me, crickets are a sign of spring and summer. I’m sure winter has its perks, but I generally can’t find them.

Spring has been taking its sweet time to hit Purdue, but I have been very happy to hear the early signs of it.

It’s nice to fall asleep to the lullaby of crickets.

Penelope

Hello readers!

I don’t have enough time to write you one of my short stories, but I would like to quickly share with you my views on a movie I recently watched.

Penelope.

I must say, I had not seen any previews for the film before watching it. I had to rely on trusty dusty imdb.com. I thought it looked cute, but the minute I saw James MacAvoy was in it, it was a done deal. In the words of Rosie O’Donnell, “What a cutie patootie!”

While he was very adorable in Chronicles of Narnia, I much prefer the non goat-eared version.

The movie itself was also adorable. It featured a surprisingly non-gothic Christina Ricci and the very funny Catherine O’Hara.

It was very nice to watch a movie that wasn’t just made for pure entertainment. It had a very good and much forgotten message. Love yourself! I think we need to be reminded of that every now and again.

It also reminds us that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Now I know that we don’t walk up to someone in a bar and say, “Gee, you look like you’ve got a great personality…can I buy you a drink?” Looks and attraction are an important part of the package. It is, however, important to remember that there is so much more.

If you’re a guy: Take your significant other to go see it. You might not be completely impressed, but it could always win you some points. (And what guy can’t use a few extra points here and there?)

If you’re a girl: Grab your friends, go to dinner, and finish the evening with Penelope. You won’t regret it.

Ok readers, I must bid you all goodnight. I do hope you take my advice and go see the movie.

Spring Break and Other Shenanigans

Hello friends. I apologize for my long abscence. There really haven’t been a lot of noteworthy items this past week, but I do need to fill all of you in on spring break. So, here goes:

Tuesday: Noon. Krisi arrives at my house, and we begin the trek south. Anytime Krisi and I spend large amounts of time in a vehicle, there has to be some good music and crazy dancing. So, as a belated Christmas present, I made Krisi a two CD compilation of our favorite driving tunes. I lovingly dubbed it “Krisi and Julie’s Best Damn Roadtrip CD.” The first CD held mostly rap and some rock, the second CD, however, was a throw-back to Junior/High school. It included such fabulous songs as “Dirty Pop,” “Bye, Bye, Bye” and “Dude Looks Like A Lady.” As you can imagine, this proved to be great fun.
We stopped in Hopkinsville, KY for the best Chinese ever. It’s also fabulous because the restaurant looks like a barn, has a mix of chinese and farm pictures, and plays zen and country music. (Besides, who wouldn’t love a place that has a picture of a rooster next to a picture of Buddha?)
Around 5:30-6ish p.m. we arrived at our destination: Nashville, TN! We decided to take it easy for the night and went to see a movie (a future blog) and eat at the Rainforest Cafe. (If you’ve never eaten there I would definitely recommend it…it’s a completely different dining experience).
Upon returning to the hotel, we decided it was time to cut my hair. Before going any further, I think I should explain something. I’ve had long hair for as long as I can remember. My hair is now just below chin level, and I absolutely love it. It’s still a little strange sometimes (considering the last time it was short, I was three, and it was still growing). I will try and get a new picture up soon, so you can all see the cuteness that is my new hair.

Wednesday: One word describes this day: Shopping. For those of you who are not aware, Nashville has about the best mall ever. So we spent our entire day there pecking away at my hard earned money.
Evening. My friends Colby, Ruan and Aaron decided to stop in Nashville to hang with me for a bit on their way home. While waiting for their arrival, Krisi, Brandon (he joined us Wedesday) and I did a little pre-gaming at Applebee’s. It was a good time, until we were joined by a creeper. Sometimes, these things are inevitable. At first he seemed like a nice guy, then the creepiness increased as the time passed. He kept trying to buy us all drinks and talk about how much money he had. He even tried to buy a shirt off Brandon so he could go out to the bars with us that night. (There was no invitation). Later that night, the bartender informed us that that particular guy had driven off many a customer that night, and tried to get everyone to take him along).
After the boys finally arrived, we were able to leave Mr. Creeper and go downtown. Right across from the Wild Horse Saloon there is an amazing, hole-in-the-wall sushi bar. It is there that we ate before checking out the bar scene. Nashville has a wide array of bars to offer, including my favorite, Coyote Ugly. However, it was a Wednesday night. (We had not considered this while making plans). Needless to say, (but I’m going to anyway) the bar was dead. The bartenders weren’t that great, and it just wasn’t it’s usual jovial self. Although, it’s not a trip to Nashville until Krisi and I have danced on the Coyote Ugly bar. We did and took the necessary pictures, and then we left.
After arriving back at the hotel, we were summoned by the bartender who was on his way home. It was then he told us the story of how creepy guy had been creepy all night and chased several customers away from the bar. (This only proved to make us more uneasy about our creepy guy experience).
Late night: Oh no. Tummy is not happy. *There is a long interlude of vomitting that I’m just going to glaze over* I will say this though, sushi smells the exact same going out as it did in. Not exactly pleasent.

Thursday: Tummy is still not happy, but getting slightly better. We again go to the mall where I spend most of my time sitting in the convenient chairs in the middle aisle. The ones for those people who aren’t exactly thrilled about shopping. We decided…after much debate…that it would be best to head home a day early. So we proceed with the journey northward.

Friday: Sis and I trek to the wonderful city of Indianapolis. We proceed to go to the “Egyptian Cafe and Hookah Bar” (awesome place) and stay there for the next 3.5 hours. Who knew Hookah could be so much fun? We then went back to the apartment and talked until 3 a.m.

Saturday: I arrive back at West Lafayette around 3:30ish and hurry myself along with a quick shower. I had the great opportunity to be a photographer for the AgrIInstitute launch and silent auction. It was an awesome experience and was great for networking. Not to mention, a possible internship that may have resulted!

Sunday: I ran. 2.5 miles. I couldn’t walk until…

Wednesday: Night. Went to dinner at a friend’s house and played some games. Also met a cool person…shout out to Jason.

And here it is, Thursday evening. I ran 1.5 miles tonight. (notice a decrease from the previous run). And I’m going to be a d.d. for a friend later. So, in the words of Porky Pig, the the the that’s all folks!

Nebraska

Hello fellow blogsmen/women. I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve filled you in on my life. Here is what has happened this week:

Friday (2/29): I awoke at 4:30 a.m. I proceeded to get ready and grab all my packed bags. At 6:15 a.m. me and the fellow ACT (Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow) members headed west. We didn’t stop (ok, so we did stop, but you get the idea) until we hit Lincoln, Nebraska. Now, you might be asking yourselves…what could be in Lincoln, NE? I will tell you: A whole lot of surprising fun! The night life was absolutely amazing, and the restaurants were great as well. Granted, I did have to sit through a whole day of speeches and meetings to enjoy the night life, but it was well worth it.

Sunday: After a very long and tedious drive, we arrived back at campus around 8:00 p.m. I went back to the apartment, did the necessary homework, and fell into immediate sleep. A very, very deep sleep….(which leads us to)….

Monday: Morning. Alarm goes off…I turn it off and wait for the second. (It is necessary for me to have 2 alarms, or there could be problems). I continue to sleep and wait. (Usually, if I oversleep, I have an “inner” alarm that will rouse me; apparently it was malfunctioning). The “inner” alarm finally tells me to wake up. I proceed to grab my cell phone and soon after mutter something I shouldn’t repeat. (I’m sure there are virgin ears out there….somewhere). It was 1:00 p.m. How fabulous…I had missed both classes for the day.

Tuesday: Ok, so honestly nothing amazing happened on Tuesday, but there are a couple of noteworthy items. My German class watched a silent version of Faust. It was made in 1926 and for being that old, the effects are pretty great. I was able to interview a Purdue professor about her experience with making legislation. My story will be published in an online Purdue newsletter (The Communicator), and I will post the link as soon as it is available. Can you believe it? I’ll be an official, published writer! Also, I finished the entire series of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” I was very pleased with the series, and it is now one of my favorite TV shows of all time. (Thanks sis). I was, however, slightly disappointed in the ending. Then again, I’m disappointed in all endings that do not have a clear-cut “this is what happened, and all is done.” I’m just not one to be left hanging…I’m a girl; we need closure!

Wednesday: I went in to work at 8:30 and met with my boss about my new project. I will be mailing out the posters I made (How cool is that? I made a poster!). At 10:30 I had an exam, but I do not feel that it is worth wasting anymore precious space talking about it (hmm…guess I just did, oh well). In my second and final class of the day I got back my graded midterm. I got an A on my News Writing midterm!!! Today was my last day working for Rural King (thank God). Those of you (and I know there are many) who are asking yourselves…what is RK? It is basically the same thing as Tractor Supply Co. (our main rival). For those of you who are still lost…it’s basically a farmer’s Wal-Mart.

And the best part of today: Being able to spend time with all you lovely folks. I hope you stick around, because next week is spring break and yet another adventure: Nashville or bust!

A Good Week

Hello trusty readers. I have had an incredible week. I’ve been in to my new office (with that über cool desk) every day this week. I even went in during the morning hours and loved it. (For those of you who do not know me, this is an accomplishment. Generally, if there isn’t a fire or a horse related job/event…I won’t be getting up one minute before I have to). I still didn’t enjoy the waking up part, but I made my coffee and off I went. It turned out to be very rewarding. I enjoyed waking up early and immediately doing something productive. (Yes, I realize that those of you who know me are sitting at your computer with your mouths hanging open…go ahead and shut it, you look like an idiot).

Also, I discovered something about myself. I like graphic design. This came as a surprise to me. I’ve been struggling to grasp the concepts in my design class, and I was beginning to believe that I was not meant to be one with computers. However, today I spent time working on an assignment for this class, and I did a really good job. I couldn’t believe it. This assignment that I’ve been having the hardest time with just clicked with me today.

When I returned to good old West Lafayette Sunday, I did not come alone. My cat Smoky has been “acting out” if you will. She does not like my dog (who unfortunately must live with my parents currently) So, Smoky came to live with me. She is just so happy! She acts like she did before we had a dog. Yesterday morning I’m afraid I woke up a roommate. I was looking for something in the closet (and consequently bent over) and Smoky jumps on my back (inadvertantly putting a claw in my ass). I yelled something and jumped up really quickly. She hasn’t done that in years! Her and her sister, Ruth, used to do it all the time. I think this is a sign that she is feeling much better and happier.

On a more personal note, it’s been a good week for “dating opportunities” let’s call them. Two people have guys they would like me to meet and another friend admitted that if he were not taken he would ask me out. What better to boost a girl’s confidence? I’m a fairly confident person on a day-to-day basis, but I am a girl. We get down on ourselves. Sometimes we get in dating “dry spells” and feel like we have “dating leprosy.” So, to all you fellow girls who have been there, ignore that feeling. And the next time that stupid little voice in the back of your mind asks what’s wrong with you…you answer, “Nothing, what’s wrong with you, bitch.” It won’t solve any of your dating problems, but it will make you feel a helluva lot better!

It’s amazing how one good week can make you feel so much better. It is unclear how next week will go (I do have 2 tests), but I will always have the memory of tihs good one. =)

Band Names

I enjoy hearing of fun and interesting band names. One night at work, a friend wanted some help picking out a name. Naturally he came to me, and his first suggestion was “Megadeath.” Ok, so I smile and nod and say sure. But let’s be honest, not so original. My friend Krisi introduced me to the coolest band name ever. Are you ready for this? Toad The Wet Sprocket! I mean come on, how great is that?

Lesson for today: Next time you’re picking out a band name…go ahead and resist the urge to go with “Megadeath.” Find something fun and entertaining and that means absolutely nothing. People might not know your music, but they’ll definitely remember your name!

Free Reign

Hello wonderful world of eager readers (i.e. my sister). I apologize for having abandoned you these past few days. I have been waiting until I had something worth writing about: My first day on the job! I met with my boss, and he gave me all the background information on the program. After that, I was given free reign! How cool is that? This is the first job I’ve had that I haven’t been told what to do; I’m loving it. I do have to admit that I was really unsure of what to with myself at first, but I am going to love this job! I have a project that I will be working on, and I will be able to do some traveling and photography. Not to mention the aspect of my job I’m most excited about: I get to edit!!! Ok, so maybe I’m just a grammar geek, but I love to edit papers. One of my absolute dream jobs would be to be a book editor. It would combine two of my favorite activities: reading and editing. Ok fabulous readers, I must bid you all adieu. I will do my best to write again soon. (Oh, and see you Friday sis)

The Importance of a Desk

Earlier this week I was offered a job working for International 4H, and I couldn’t be happier. To steal a quote from my sister; I feel like I have my “big girl pants” on. This is the first job I’ve had that doesn’t involve customer service in any way, shape or form. I also will not have to run a cash register. Again, I couldn’t be happier. My new job is project oriented and has great opportunity for travel. One of the coolest things of all: I have my own desk! Now some of you are thinking I’m crazy, maybe I am, but to me it is not just a desk. It represents an extremely important step for my major and my future career. This is my way to get my name and ideas out into the big world! I hope you all stick around to enjoy it, because I’m sure I will continue to write about it!

Hello World

Hello there…this is my first blog, and I was instructed by my fabulous sister that the hello world is a must. So, wonderful wide web of the internet….hello. I will write to you as often as possible and hope you do the same. My name is Julie, and I hope you enjoy writeandwrong101.