sanding, priming, sanding, priming...

A few things have happened in the past couple of days that I never thought would happen in my life.

1. I bought my first power tool and became good friends with the tool man at home depot discussing all different types and kinds of sanders. I now own this bad boy from Black and Decker, it is pretty amazing and so powerful to use...2. I also became best buds with a Sherwin Williams worker discussing the different types of paint. Latex vs oil, gloss vs matte, basic primer vs tinted primer, etc, etc, etc. Needless to say, I now have a couple of quarts of oil based paint sitting in my garage waiting to be lathered onto my dining room table.
3. And, well, I finished my 5k in 30.03 minutes, my best time yet. Who knew I could do that? Not me.

Other than that, my weekend and beginning of this week has been spent spoiling Molly, of course, and sanding and priming a lot. My dining room table has been sanded and has one coat of primer on it and is sanded waiting on the next coat of paint. I'm also working on a mirror that has been primed and sanded over and over. My garage has definitely turned into a full workshop!

And, don't worry pictures are coming of these projects!

Run LB Run...

I hate running. I do. I just hate it. But at the same time there is something about running that makes me keep coming back to it. I had to run in college, not by choice, but for cheerleading. Then, running was associated with a punishment or doing something wrong. Show up late, run laps. Mess up on a cheer, run some more. Running, to me, equaled being punished.

Last summer, I randomly mentioned to my Mom that I thought it might be neat or cool if I could run a 5k at some point before 2009 ended. Then at that time, there was something (aka someone) that held me back. The punishing feeling I associated with running wouldn't go away because I thought I couldn't do it and someone else really thought I couldn't do it or more importantly, they could do it better. At the end of the summer, a lot of things started changing, and I finally made the turn to start running again and running for myself. A good friend of mine suggested we should do a 5k in the end of October. I debated back and forth but knew this would be the perfect opportunity to accomplish my summer goal. I signed up for the race with about 4 days to spare, and I am so thankful I did. Finishing the race without stopping was such an incredible personal accomplishment and exactly what I needed in my life at that time. I needed to get confidence in myself back after a rough ending to the summer.

What I didn't expect to happen was my new addiction/liking to doing 5ks. Maybe I just enjoy getting the free t-shirt or seeing a cheesy photo of myself crossing the finish line, but I do enjoy them. I may moan and groan up until the days before, but I honestly love the satisfaction I get from finishing the race.

It still amazes me how quickly things can change in a matter of months especially when it started as doing the Tulsa Run at the end of October...

Then turned into doing the Jingle Bell Run in December...

and now this Saturday I'm doing the St. Patrick's Day Run. This will be my 3rd 5k in less than 5 months! Crazy how things can turnaround so quickly in your life, but I guess that's why I've just been running around and chasing it and loving my life now a whole lot more!

No pasa nada...

With Spring Break coming up for nearly every single person I know, I have been remembering how great it was to have breaks from school. I loved getting to go home and relax and eat lunch with my Mom every day, but at the same time, looking back on my breaks from school, my favorite break would be summer 2008. That summer I got to spend the first few months abroad and living the life in Spain. Nothing can compare to that summer. I had no worries, I was doing something new everyday, I was experience life the way I never had before, I learned who I was, and I got to be my full and total self in a totally new place. It was unbelievable. Especially getting to see this every afternoon after class...and getting to sit front row at a bullfight...

and getting to meet some of the greatest girls ever...

and, without a doubt, having the best host parents you could ask for...Oh, Spain. Such an amazing, incredible, life-changing experience. Looking back at these pictures I long for my old beach on the Mediterranean, fresh olives at every meal, to die for sangria, funny interactions while attempting the language, and the best tan I've ever gotten in my life.

But, since I know I won't get to get back any time soon, I guess I can enjoy my pictures, clean puppy curled up in my lap, and think about how my new deck at my house will be my summer substitute for a Mediterranean beach in Spain...

The life of Mo...

Sometimes I just wish I could have Molly's life for a day. It's pretty simple, basically. Sleep, get spoiled, sleep, play, walk, sleep, eat, and sleep some more. Here is a glimpse into Molly's daily life...

Not a morning fan...

Going for walks are her new favorite thing to do...

Molly also loves happy hour. REALLY, really loves Sonic happy hour.

And, of course she loves to play!

But, let's not forget her newest favorite thing to do...sit in front of the door when I try to leave.

Oh, to be able to live a puppy's life! She's a mess, but how can you not love this cute little face!