Week 1- Master's Program

I think I want to write a little blurb after each of my classes, just to record my thoughts and feelings about this new path that I'm on.  First a little background about me:  I've never been a super academic person.  I did well in high school but never took AP classes-- or even knew about them?  I took one honor's class and the last math class I ever took was my junior year.  My senior year I took electives like guitar and wood shop.  :)

Anyway, it was a miracle that I was accepted to BYU and I was really surprised and excited.  I'll be honest: my freshman year was like playtime non-stop and I absolutely loved it.  My earliest class time was 9am and I really struggled getting to class on time... and even if I WAS in class, actually staying awake was a challenge.  At one point, my friend and I made bed-time charts when we were living in the dorms, and for a while my average bed time was 4am. Yikes!  But c'mon... dorm life was like a never-ending sleepover!  I had a blast.  I worked part-time at Jamba Juice on campus and seemed to be the only person in my circle of friends with a job.  So that was a bummer at times when I had to miss out on some of the fun things... but Jamba Juice provided a whole new social life away from the dorms and I still had a fun time.  :)

My grades weren't awesome.  I still remember celebrating a D- in American Heritage because I really thought I was going to fail.  It was hard to sit in those comfy auditorium style seats in a class of 900 students and NOT fall asleep or zone out.  I don't know how I made it.  I got a D in the psychology class that I really thought I would like.  Wrong.  I even got a C in "Teachings of the Living Prophets" because the class was at 1:00pm and that was like PURE sleepy time for me and I could NOT stay awake for the life of me.  And I really wanted to be alert and pay attention!  It just wasn't physically possible for the most part. :)  I had to re-take geology (which is dum because I love rocks & minerals) because I could never wake up in time for class and just missed out on too many things).  And the list goes on. How did I even make it through BYU?

LUCKILY I found a major that I loved. And by the time I graduated, my major GPA was 3.55, and overall maybe a 3.2.  MUCH Better.  Recreation Management was the PERFECT major for me.  The professors were amazing, fun, quirky, energetic, creative, hilarious, loving, passionate, etc. We did a lot of group work and let's be honest-- people in the Recreation Management major are just awesome and fun. Most are super outdoorsy and/or outgoing so it was easy and comfortable to do group projects.  We did some ridiculously amazing fieldtrips like going from St. George to San Diego to visit various recreation centers and learn along the way-- YMCA surf camp in San Diego was a highlight, not to mention Disneyland. :)

I did my internships with a BSA scout camp, BYU Sports Camps, and the Boys & Girls Club in Provo.  All were great experiences, and it's obvious to see which path I decided to pursue.  I graduated from BYU in 2002 and worked at the Boys & Girls Club, then the YMCA for several years, and now Boys & Girls Club again.  Life is good.  My recreation experience has been good.

Now it's time to be a student again. This time it's with University of Phoenix-- the campus in Murray, UT.

I loved my class tonight!  Basically just a lot of "intro" information and the expectations of the next 2 years, but I really like our professor and it's easy to feel her "counselor" vibes.  She speaks very clearly and thoughtfully, and I feel like I could just sit there in her office and soak in any kind of life advice she had to share with me.  I hope I can be a counselor like that one day.  People have told me I'm a good public speaker-- if only my neck and face didn't immediately turn red when I'm put on the spot! 

We had to share something unique about ourselves, so I told everyone I can spin a basketball on any of my fingers and do tricks.  I also mentioned that I love music and write songs with the piano and guitar.  *shrug*  Nothing huge and out of the ordinary, but now they can maybe get a better image of me as a teen program Director and how I might interact with the teens at the Club.

There are 10 of us in the class: 9 girls and 1 boy.  I happened to work with the boy when we split up into pairs, and he has a good background in working with dilinquent kids at one of those scary places with tough kids.  He was also a cop in Vegas for a few years.  He's older, so don't go thinking I'm trying to get a date out of this guy.  Just pure classmates.  We have to edit each other's papers this week so I'm hoping he has some good skills.  Both of us have been out of school for at least 10 years.  Sheesh.

I wrote a 3 page paper and had it all ready for class, and I was actually feeling really good about it.  By the time class was over, I left feeling like I need to re-write my whole paper. Haha.  Not because it was crap... just because I feel like I need to broaden my research and add more tidbits than just the few references I used.  I probably used way too many quotes, which my professor mentioned isn't a good thing.  She was using a student from the past as an example, but I made the mental note to take out some quotes.  I'm going to run it through the "plagiarism" checker on our student website and see how it comes out.  I really try so hard not to copy or use author's words, and it's hard for me to formulate my own!  I really tried to cite every little tidbit of info but APA format is driving me crazy.  So anyway... I just might re-approach the assignment and see how it comes out. 

Something else I need to do is work a little bit EACH DAY on my class.  I'm used to doing stuff at the last minute.  But this class isn't going to let that fly.  Especially with all the crazy reading assignments.  There were about 10 links of different articles we were supposed to read prior to class today.  I had read about half of them by yesterday and figured I could finish today.  Little did I realize that one little link could actually lead to a journal article 13+ pages.  And I had 5 more links!  YIKES.  So I did A LOT of reading when I could at work-- which I don't want to have to do again because my computer is at a weird angle on my desk and my back is all tweaked now from sitting in a weird position to stare at the screen.  Sooo... from now on I will be a good girl and do a little bit of reading each day-- at home-- at night.

I'm tired.  I'm not really hungry but I feel like getting myself a treat anyway.

We had a 30 minute break tonight and I drove just 5 minutes away to the hospital where Heather is staying.  She had her baby YESTERDAY so I got to visit and hold little Alexia again.  So precious!  Then I zipped back and got to my seat just minutes before the lecture started again.  Perfect timing.  :)

Anyway... probably the biggest thing I need to work on is my professionalism.  I've been doing GREAT with punctuality-- arriving to class about 10-15 minutes early.  That is NOT like me, but I'll keep rolling with it!  I just don't dress nice.  I mean, dressing "nice" for me is wearing a good pair of jeans with a shirt that isn't a Boys & Girls Club or running T-shirt.  Tonight I am wearing a simple J-Crew v-neck T-shirt and I look nice, but probably super grubby compared to everyone else.  So that will be my quest the next few weeks.  Also, I even tried not to lean with my elbows on the table throughout the whole class, and tried to sit up tall and have my hands in my lap. Haha. Such a nerd.  But they are really observing you throughout these next 6 weeks and I just don't know all the things they're watching.  I'll try to be on my best behavior.

Well... I could have gone home 30 minutes ago but I stayed to write this blog.

Now I'm going home!  :)

100% Random Thoughts

This post has no structure, theme, or specific purpose.  I am simply sitting here and typing out thoughts as they come to me.  I do enjoy typing. :)  I think I owe my typing skills to the 1990's back when AOL was a big thing and we had chat rooms and chat windows and what not. I would stay up super late and sneak online after my parents went to bed to chat w/ whoever.  Weird teen phase, I know.  I had random chat friends in other states and we basically were all fans of the 1996 gymnastics team-- haha.  That's what our common interest was.  Yep, that's how cool I was back then... but at least I can type fast.

I was super obsessed with the '96 Olympics.  Obsessed with the logo.  I drew it everywhere:  all over my notebooks, letters, journals, etc.  I saved Wheaties boxes (still unopened), newspaper articles, magazines, and every kind of trinket from an airport gift shop because my dad was good about bringning home stuff he knew I'd like.  I've never done gymnastics but I was obsessed with the women's team and really felt like they were all my friends.  I taped all of the meets on VHS, bought the books, had one signed by Amy Chow at the mall, and went to the Gymnastics Tour when they came to San Jose in CA.  My walls were covered in posters and I had USA warm-up jackets that I wore.  That was a weird phase... and I still have all my stuff and will NOT let my mom throw it away.

I'm very sentimental and save a lot of things.  I have a band-aid box at home ('96 Olympics band-aid box) that holds all kinds of special trinkets:  the piece of gum I was chewing during my first kiss-- yes, it's true; toy fire hydrant my friend gave me after I got in a car accident and crashed into a fire hydrant; $6 my softball coach gave me after I hit a grand slam in a game-- I'll post about that another day; toothpick umbrella from a date at Hardrock Cafe in Baltimore, MD... and other random things.  My mom is definitely not allowed to throw that away.

She's also not allowed to throw away my rocks &  minerals collections.  I spent all of my teenage years going crazy in giftshops and random touristy places-- all for shiny, smooth rocks.  I loved agate slices that I could hold up to the light and discover all kinds of colors shining through that you couldn't see otherwise. I loved Tiger Eye (shimmery orange and brown) and the geodes that had crystals in the center.  Most of my baby-sitting money went to rocks and minerals, and now they all sit nicely in little boxes with organizing comparments in my closet.  Or the basement.  Somewhere in PA!

I also collected dream-catchers, tiger posters, arrowheads, shells, monkey stuffed animals, visors, and picture frames.

Speaking of monkey stuffed animals, I had some really cute smaller ones.  Small enough to throw into a ceiling fan without doing too much damage.  Heather and I would lay on my bedroom floor and toss the little monkeys into the fan.  If you timed it just right, they would go flying across the room and land against the wall with a *thud*.  We'd do this over and over again and just laugh and laugh.  I don't know if our parents knew about this game of ours.  If my mom is reading this now, I guess we'll find out.  :)

I've always been obsessed with mail.  I love getting letters.  I love writing and sending letters.  I sometimes joked that this is why I went on a mission-- so I could get lots of mail.  (Not really the reason why I went on a mission, but getting mail was a huge bonus!)  For my Birthday while I was on my mission, my mom must've encouraged every person in Pennsylvania to send me a letter.  The mail came POURING in weeks before my Birthday, and I saved every piece of mail up until my actual Birthday.  It was AMAZING!!!  My poor companion wanted to rip my head off because we'd go check the mailbox each day, and several letters would come spilling out, all with my name on it. One day there were like 10 letters all smashed in there for me. I got at least 7 packages as well.  Needless to say-- that was one of the coolest Birthdays EVER!!!  I still love mail.  :) 

Halloween stresses me out.  The whole costume thing.  It's stressful.  It's like you have to go ALL OUT or it's no use because people will just look at you weird and say, "What are YOU supposed to be?" All snotty like.  And then you just want to punch them and you feel embarrassed for even trying.  Last year was the only year I felt somewhat cool because I constructed a cool Superman/woman outfit from my findings at Savers and it turned out quite well.  I could soar around with my cape and feel cool.  I don't have any great ideas for this year.  I LOVE OCTOBER.  But Halloween stresses me out.

As for Thanksgiving... it's all about the rolls and mashed potatoes.  I could skip everything else.  And I love the football.  Last year I did a 5K Thanksgiving morning and it was the coldest weather I've ever run in.  Absolutely frigid and miserable... but a fun memory!

I'm proud of myself for writing my paper for my Master's program 2 days before it was due!  This is very un-like me.  But it just seemed like I should get it done, and that is great because then I had an extra day to edit and try to finalize all the APA formatting stuff that drives me nuts.  Really, who even cares about that stuff?  Well apparently the APA people care because they got their way all approved and official for college people to use.  Hopefully it will become more natural for me to follow in a couple months, but for now it's a headache.  First official day of school is Wednesday, September 28th!

Speaking of writing my paper 2 days early, it was meant to be, because Heather had her little baby today and I'm spending the night at her house with Cam!  The timing couldn't have been more perfect. :)  So yes, little baby Alexia has finally arrived, complete with reddish blond hair and a cute little face.  We predict she has Jake's chin, and that's all we can see for now.  You can never tell with babies.  Some of the CUTEST kids I know these days (ahem, Cam and Ariana) were kind of funny-looking babies, so I refuse to judge a baby in their infant months. :)  But I'm glad baby "Lexi" has arrived, and hopefully Heather can start to feel a little more normal and comfortable again! 

No boy updates.  It's just that phase in the dating cycle right now.  Absolutely nothing to report. :)

I love watching Football so much.  Obviously I love BYU as far as college goes.  But in NFL football I go for the Eagles (PA pride) and the Chargers (my friend's husband is Eric Weddle, who used to play for the U, and I love the kid).  Anyway,  I also have teams I go against 100%.  This means if I turn on the TV and they're playing, I want them to lose, regardless of who they're playing.  So my top losing teams are the Steelers, Cowboys, and Raiders.  I never want any good to come their way.  And I'm just that mean, so there.  If I ever have a husband, I hope he likes football... because he'll be a very lucky man to have a wife who likes to watch football as much as a man does.

I wear 4 rings.  One ring I got from my friend in 1996 and I've worn it every day of my life since.  Another ring is from a friend in 1999 and I've worn it every day since.  Another ring I got at the beach in NJ and have worn it probably for 6 years.  The 4th ring was a gift from a friend last year and I wear it happily still. :)  I love my rings and I feel naked without them.  P.S.  No, none of these rings are from boys... just best friends at different times in my life. 

The best gift a boy ever gave me was... 1) a McDonald's breakfast sack left on the porch with a white rose, and a note that said, "I wanted to make you breakfast but this is the best I could do"...  2) I'm pretty sure a guy "heart attacked" my room once, only it was with pictures of roses and rose petals, and he wrote some kind of note that had to do with Jack and "Rose" from Titanic, since that movie was big back then... 3) a guy decorated a jar and labeled it "snowboarding fund" to save up my coins because we wanted to go snowboarding together.  Haha, come to think of it, maybe all of these sound lame.  The funny thing is all of these gifts and guys were from over 7 years ago.  Yikes!  I really need to get some new stories and memories.

I'm surprised if you're still reading this.  Good for you.  You're a true follower.

As much as I'd love to continue writing this into the wee hours of the morning... I'll end it now.  Thanks for swimming around in my thoughts tonight!

Finding Joy in Construction Traffic

Lately when I'm driving home (usually a 30 minute commute), I encounter dumb traffic at 9pm which just shouldn't happen.  But I should be over the surprises on I-15 by now, considering the lanes are changed and re-painted weekly and random lanes are closed at different times of the day.  Needless to say, sometimes I just get sick of this long drive home.

So last night I decided to make the best of it.  Rather than grumble and get irritated at the stop and go traffic, I would use my little iPod nano as a resource of happiness and entertainment.  Here was the plan:

I would choose an artist from each letter of the alphabet and just one random song, and then move on to the next letter of the alphabet and continue.  Some artists I chose completely at random by scrolling without looking and just clicking on one-- then looking down to see who the lucky artist was. :)  Some artists I chose on purpose just because I wanted a certain pick-me-up song.  But anyway, I decided to share the list of songs I listened to because it was the most RANDOM variety of a "playlist".  

I'd love to know if you like any of these songs also. And if you haven't heard of some of them, look 'em up!

Augustana-- Sweet and Low

Britt Nicole-- Like a Star

Colbie Caillat-- Brighter Than the Sun

Death Cab For Cutie-- I will Follow You Into the Dark

Evanescence-- Fields of Innocence (I'd never hear this before-- not my favorite but it's okay)

Foster the People-- Houdini (This has become one of my favorite "pick-me-up" songs!)

Goo Goo Dolls-- Better Days

Howie Day-- Be There

Ingrid Michaelson-- You and I  (Really love this one too)

Justin Bieber-- One Time 

Kelly Clarkson-- My Life Would Suck Without You

Little Big Town-- Boondocks

Miley Cyrus-- Party in the U.S.A. (haha)

Natasha Bedingfield-- Freckles (I consider this my theme song)

One Republic-- Say (All I Need)

Plain White T's-- Rhythm of Love

So there I was, driving along I-15 at 10pm, singing my head off and trying my best to be distracted from the traffic at hand.  It was an enjoyable ride home. :)

Hang Gliding-- what?!

Remember Hiking Boy?  He was the cause of a crazy, horrendous, but kind of cool hike a few weeks ago.  We haven't hung out since, except for maybe an hour last weekend when he joined me and a group of people for a 5K race.  He is still 23 and seems quite young, so I've accepted the fact that he's just a super sweet boy and I'm an old lady. :)

Well he called tonight around 11pm.  That's random enough, but he was calling to tell me about a 1/2 off deal for beginner hang gliding lessons at the point of the mountain. Haha!  I laughed out loud.  That is SUPER random.  I humored him and asked for details and what it all entails.  He told me he did a little research and watched some videos and bought it.  He was careful to tell me he wasn't trying to pressure me or anything; he just wanted to let me know about the deal because it would only last a few more hours.  Bless his heart.  I was assuming it would cost hundreds of dollars, which I totally can't afford, so I didn't want to sound too interested.  But I thanked him for the info and told him I'd check it out later.

I clicked on the link.  $70.  What?!  That's way better than I'd anticipated!  I watched some of the videos (including the one shown above) and suddenly felt like maybe I could do it.  Then I took Sadie outside and we were sprinting down the sidewalk and I imagined how fun it would be to run fast and then suddenly be hanging in mid-air.  I came back inside and signed up for it.  Boom.  Done.

But if you watch that video, it's really not like CRAZY hang gliding.  It's definitely beginner style and you don't get too far off the ground.  At least I'm hoping that's the case.  :)  I've never been one to ever want to go bungee-jumping, sky-diving, crazy cliff-jumping, etc.  So obviously this is something I've never added to my life's "To Do" list.  But thank you to Hiking Boy for giving me a reason to do something adventurous again.

I texted him after my purchase and told him I got it.  He said, "You're awesome!"  I think we'll end up going together some time in October.  THAT will be a fun story to tell!

Boy Armpit Hair

You know what grosses me out?  BOY ARMPIT HAIR.  It's like the worst thing ever.  Okay, so there are worse things, but armpit hair is just gross.  I don't understand why or how boys even use a normal stick of deodorant because wouldn't it just get all cakey and flakey in the tufts of hair?  That stuff needs to go onto smooth skin, like girl armpits.  (Assuming girl armpits are usually clean-shaven).  I just don't get it.

Then you throw in a guy who wears a "muscle shirt" of some sort... and most likely their arms aren't muscly... and then you have to catch a glimpse of hair in the armpit region.  Sick.

So what.  Are boys supposed to shave their armpits instead?  I don't really have a solution.  I guess it would be weird if boy armpits were smooth if you happened to sneak a peek.  Either way... it all still grosses me out.

Is there even a solution to this stress of mine?  I'll try to focus my worries on other things.

Pregnancy & Marriage

My younger sister, Heather,  has about 2 more weeks left of a long and difficult pregnancy.  She has endured pretty much any kind of physical miserable situation you could imagine, and is still kickin'.  I admire this girl greatly and don't envy her at all for the pain and discomfort she has been in.  I'll have some wild stories to share with her little baby girl once she's old enough to understand.  But I'm thinking this girl will be a feisty little fire-cracker and her  personality will match the kind of pregnancy she provided. :)  Having said that, I'm anxious and excited for Heather to have her second baby soon!

The other night I was praying for Heather.  Praying for her to feel at peace and to be "comfortable", if that was even possible.  Then I started thinking about my older sister, Brittney, who recently told us she is pregnant with her 4th baby.  Exciting!  And I thought of Nathan's wife, Allison, who gave birth to their first child in January and I'm sure they'll bust out another little baby sooner than later. :)

I love all these girls so much.  Pure family love and admiration for their roles as mothers.  It was kind of an overwhelming feeling I had never experienced before-- the weight of not only carrying a child through 9 months of being pregnant, but then taking on the responsibility of raising them to be good, smart, kind, and responsible adults. I've never experienced anything like that... and I don't know if I ever will.  I've never been the kind of girl to "day dream" about my wedding dress, engagement ring, wedding colors, or invitations.  I just have a hard time totally dreaming about the future like that, when in the present... it seems so far of and unattainable.  As you might have noticed in my past "dating posts"... before I dream about weddings and all that, I'm trying to learn how to have a dumb boyfriend.  First things first, and I'm just not getting very far.  So I think somewhere in my prayer, I mentioned that if I'm never going to be a mother myself, I am grateful for my little nieces and nephews-- that I get to interact with them and influence them and have tons of fun with them.  It warms my heart.  And makes me a little emotional.

As for marriage, I have no idea what will come.  I'm not giving up at 31-- I'm just being real with myself.  I have no idea what to expect.  When I was at a zone conference activity once on my mission, we were talking with my mission President and his wife about marriage and all that, and someone brought up how many ladies in their older years (example: Kristin Oaks) who have never married before... suddenly end up marrying an apostle!  Like those apostles whose wives have died and they want to re-marry.  I told them I didn't want to sign up for that.  Not only for the long wait of it, but also the pressure of being married to an apostle.  That's intense.  My mission President responded:  "Oh no, Sister Toone... you won't have to worry"... and I don't know what else he said, but he was making the point that he doubted I would have to wait long to find my husband.  I didn't take it as any kind of revelation or anything, and I'm not disappointed that I'm still single.  Granted, it's technically only been about 3 years since coming home from my mission, so I guess there's still "plenty of time."  :)  But I would just rather know up front if it's going to happen at all.  Then I can embrace my 40's and go wild with life.  Haha.  I don't want to just linger in the "waiting" period... not that I'd do that anyway, because it's not how I am... but it's just one giant mystery that I will never know the answer to-- until it appears out of no where.

So I was thinking about the teens I work with and how much I love them and cherish the role I get to play in their lives.  To some I'm a mother;  To some I'm a disciplinarian;  To some I'm a cheerleader; To some I'm a teacher;  To some I'm a counselor;  To some I'm a best friend;  To some I'm a sister;  To some I might even be that person they don't like but should respect anyway. Ha.  And I think these are all different roles women get to play as mothers.  For that reason, I really love the job I have, working with youth.  I love enabling them to have experiences at the Boys & Girls Club, and outside of the Club, that their own parents can't provide otherwise.  I love being that friendly face willing to do anything to make them smile or laugh.  I really just love them, and I wish so much I could blog about them every day and include pics and all that.  But alas... those are boundaries I can't cross in my job.  So I hold all the memories and pictures in my mind-- but just know that I adore the opportunity to work with these kids.  Even on the crappy days.

To all you mothers out there...  I love you.  I don't feel angry or bitter or jealous that I can't be you right now. I just totally respect what you're doing and know you have an amazing purpose on the earth right now.  And to ladies who are married but don't have any children yet-- for whatever reason that may be-- we're all waiting for something in life, right?  We all don't know the whole picture, but I have faith that Heavenly Father does, and things will happen according to His timeline.  We just have to keep pressing forward and the blessings will roll forth when the time is right.

And to my mom and sisters-- as crazy and quirky and sarcastic and weird as I may be sometimes... I'm really a sensitive flower and I love and appreciate all that you are in my life.    :)

Addicted... in a ridiculous way.

I give one of my teens a hard time because she is literally attached to her cell phone.  Even if it's plugged into the wall to charge, she's sitting right there next to it, phone in hand, waiting for the next sign of communication from "that boy" or whoever she's waiting to hear from.

And as much as I make fun of her and tell her she's ridiculous...

I'm just as ridiculous.  I'm totally attached to my cell phone.  And not only am I attached to it, I'm addicted to checking for messages like every 20 seconds.  It's always right next to me wherever I am-- on my desk, on my lap, next to my bed, on the bathroom counter, on the couch, etc.  The only time it's not with me is when I'm running... but sometimes if I run at night, then yes, I have it with me.  Even when I'm in the shower, I keep it in the bathroom, and if I hear the little "text message sound" go off during my shower, I have something to look forward the whole time-- totally anxious to check that message when I'm done.  *sigh*  It's kind of pathetic, I know.

I'm guilty of texting and driving, and you can lecture me all you want for all the reasons why it is totally unsafe and dumb.  I know.  I know all of those things are totally true and it's super dangerous to text while driving.  I do lots of things while I'm driving:  steer with my knees, put on my mascara, eat bowls of cereal... whatever.  But back to my phone, it's like I can't handle driving without sending a text out so I can hope to receive one back.  Isn't that lame?  So the past few days I've just tucked my phone in my little purse and kept it there.  This is especially a big deal for when I drive to work because it takes about 30 minutes.  That's 30 whole minutes of not checking my phone... but I know it's safer, and I'm trying to be better.

I don't know why getting a text is so exciting.  It just is.  Especially when I don't have to have my phone on silent and I get to hear that happy little sound that tells me I just got a text.  And if it IS on silent, like while I'm at work, that just means I check it more frequently, to make sure I didn't miss that special message.  Because you know me-- I'm kind of a big deal and any message I receive during the day is like super important.  <<sarcasm>>  Well, all text messages are a big deal to me, so if you ever send me one... I really love it.

Here's where it gets worse... speaking of addictions:

Freakin' e-mail.  I check it every day... all day.  Like every 5 minutes.  I have a computer sitting so bright and happy on my desk at work, and my office is right in the middle of the teen center so I'm in there most of the day.  At least before the teens get there (11am-3pm) I'm in my office working on random things, but my gmail is just a few clicks away, and I check it frequently.  Like... way too often.  And even when the teens show up, if I ever have a free moment or need to look something up on the computer... yep... I'll just hurry and open up my gmail account, just in case something else new showed up.

Here's why my gmail account is a big deal:  Of course that's where I get normal e-mails, but also any Facebook notifications and any comments that have appeared on my blog.  So it's a 3 in 1 deal to let me know what's going on in my social worlds. :)  Sometimes the internet is down at the Boys & Girls Club (ghetto technology) and those days are like torture for me.  What?! I have to go a few hours without checking my e-mail!?  I guess if I get really antsy, I can always look up my gmail on my phone, but it's not like a super fancy phone, and sometimes that's more trouble than it's worth.  I just love my super fast computer that will get me to my gmail in just a few seconds.

So here's my routine:  I check my gmail first, before anything else.  If it shows a lot of activity that took place on Facebook, I'll log into Facebook so I can comment on things or comment on pics, etc.  If I've received some good comments on my blog, I'll go to my blog to read them from there, just to see the blog and comments altogether. :) But gmail is what links me to everything else and keeps me on my toes.  If I check my gmail every 5 minutes and my inbox keeps coming up with no "new mail", I know nothing has happened in Facebook or on my blog either.  Sometimes I've tried to go for a "long time" without checking my e-mail, but since it's an addiction, it kind of drives me crazy.  But seriously, if I could just wait til the END of the day to open my gmail account... think of how many fun messages I would have waiting for me!  It would probably be even more fun then checking it so often throughout the day and finding little morsels of surprises every now and then.  Yes, I should really try to wait 'til the end of the day.  I'll do that one of these days.  

*sigh*

Anyway, I'm kind of controlled by my phone and e-mail obsessions.  It's like I'm totally obsessed with being connected to other people.  I would never survive if I was the last human alive on the earth.  Nope, it would never work out for me.

Red Rock Relay= Stress, Poop, and Fun!

I've asked myself why I do these races, and this most recent relay confirmed my answer:  They're so fun!  It's all about experiencing a crazy, fun weekend-- often with complete strangers-- and coming away with new friends, fabulous memories, and great personal accomplishments!  Not to mention the ridiculous amount of laughter that is produced in 2 days.  This was my 4th relay and definitely my favorite.

My relay addiction began with this same relay last year, and by January (4 months later) I was ready to be a captain and put together my own team!  This never would have happened if it wasn't for CASSITY who bought the team ahead of time, and we all paid her back.  So it cost $1400 up front-- Yikes!!-- and came to $90/person... or $120/person if they also did the Moab relay.  Needless to say, it was pricey and I'm so glad Cassity was able to make it possible for us to have our own team.  She also wanted to be one of our van drivers and kind of played the role of "team manager" throughout the year, and was super helpful.  As the months went by, I was able to recruit runners here and there, and it was kind of like a chain reaction to get people on the team.  I'm so glad I also had Nateal Nielsen to depend on!  (We served in the Relief Society presidency together a while back).  She joined us for the Moab relay and was awesome and so excited for this relay too.  We were able to stay 2 nights at her Uncle's condo in St. George and that saved us A LOT of money by not having to rent motel rooms, etc.  The condo was perfect and I love that the whole team got to stay together.

The most stressful thing about being a team captain was trying to communicate with everyone, meet registration deadlines, replace last minute drop-outs, and make sure everyone was receiving (and reading) the information that they needed.  I sent out a plethora of texts and e-mails and could only hope that all my efforts were actually doing something.  It was also stressful trying to figure out van rentals, food options, runner assignments, etc.  So many little factors came into play that I never realized doing my other relays.  But the few days and weeks leading up to Red Rock really killed me with stress and I just wanted it all to be over with.  If you'd asked me a week ago if I would ever sign up to captain a team again, the immediate answer would have been NO.

Now that the relay has come and gone and I absolutely loved the whole weekend... I think my answer to that might be YES.  I might do it again. :)  I loved my team!  We lucked out with not only great runners, but some amazing and fun people!  Such an awesome mixture of personalities that made everything enjoyable.

Our team name was "Red Rock Rhythm", with the intent to play non-stop fun music all weekend long.  Thanks to "satellite radio" in our fancy rental vans, we really did have great music the whole time!  We'd blast it really loud as we cheered for our runners when they passed, and it really added some great energy to the relay.  Even at 4am, Cassity (our driver) was playing "D.J." and had those tunes blaring loudly. 

This picture displays the cute T-shirts that Cassity made for everyone. 

Also, my shoes look awesome!  :)

The relay begins at Brian Head Ski Resort in Cedar City, Utah.  I loved our team unity, and even though we were in 2 different vans and kind of like 2 smaller teams of 6 people, we stuck together and were there to support everyone.  

Jaide was one of our youngest runners and the very first runner for our relay.  Yay!

Bekah has become a close friend of mine, and on our 2nd day of working together in the summer, I learned that not only was she doing the Red Rock relay, she was also a team captain!  So in the weeks leading up to the relay we were really able to lean on each other and keep each other from going insane with stress. Our teams' starting times were only 5 minutes apart and Bekah and I were running 2 of the same legs.  I was really hoping we'd be in sync with timing and be able to actually run side by side, but the further we got into the relay, the more spaced apart our teams became.  Bummer!  At least we saw each other at a few other exchanges before totally being separated the rest of the weekend.   

Cassity and Crystal were absolutely hilarious and added so much fun and energy to our van.  Crystal was originally going to run in the relay but after having recent foot & hip problems (haha, makes her sound old) she had her daughter, Jaide, run in her place.  It worked out perfectly because then I was able to use Crystal as our "volunteer", which was required for each team.  She stayed in the van with us most of the relay until she had to report to her volunteer shift Saturday morning at the Finish Line.  Crystal was great!  She even got out and ran along-side me a couple times when I was struggling during my legs.  We were all proud and happy to have official Red Rock hoodies, and I'd say we definitely earned them. :)  

These boys were in my van and were all such strong runners!  You know what else I loved about them?  They got 2 Red Box movies to watch in our van:  "Soul Surfer" and "Never Say Never" (Justin Bieber). Seriously?!  Love those movies... love these boys. :)

Scott (aka Scotty) is absolutely amazing and such a great support to his teammates.  He runs like a maniac and has enough energy to not only complete his own legs, but get out and run with other teammates as well.  He's so positive and full of energy, and we were excited about our sweet, orange shoes!

This is a typical scene of Crystal & Co. on the side of the road, cheering on other runners.  I had that nerdy bee costume (got it for free) and was happy to let Crystal wear it with pride. "Bee aggressive!"

Just as my van finished our first running legs, this awesome storm came out of no where.  We were standing there waiting for our last runner to come in, and there was rain, hail, thunder, and lightning!  It was super cold but quite exciting and kind of freaky with such crazy weather.  

Seeking refuge from the hail inside the van.

But just as soon as the storm appeared, it passed by pretty quickly.  We stopped to take some fun, scenic pictures once we were just our own little van group again.  It was also nice to start our 2nd running legs in the evening, just as the sun was setting.  Beautiful!  

So, last year I was in the 2nd van, which means after the first half of the team finished, we still had to get back out there in the hot, St. George sun and run our last leg.  It was horrible!  I remember feeling so envious of everyone who was already finished by Saturday morning.  I definitely wanted to be in the first van this year so I could be done first and enjoy the rest of the day.  I ran my last leg at sunrise on Saturday morning, and it was gorgeous!  I came up over the hill and suddenly I was over-looking the St. George temple and the valley ahead.  It was perfect.  And almost breath-taking.  And even though I had a killer side cramp and it was so difficult to run, I really loved that last leg.  Here are some celebratory pics after our last runner came in.  We were done by 8am.  Yay!

After each leg of the course we completed, we got to mark our leg with the honorary stripe.  We were happy to wear our 3 stripes with pride!  (And still have them there for church the next day. Haha.)

After going back to the condo, showering, and taking a quick nap, we were back on the road on our way to the finish line. But luckily we caught up with Van 2 and were able to cheer on our runners.  They were all totally hot, exhausted, and tired.  I knew exactly how they felt and really was so glad I wasn't one of those runners out in the hot sun.  So glad they were such awesome troopers!

This is just beautiful and I loved being surrounded on all sides by this scene.

We were able to drive ahead to the finish line while the 2nd van runners completed their last legs.  The finish line was full of energy and swarming with tired, sore runners from hundreds of teams.  Upon finished the race, we all received medals and took happy team pictures.  It was a great feeling to be done!  Our official completion time was 30 hours and 55 minutes.

It was great to have Cassity along for the adventure.  She was an excellent driver and great cheerleader.

Oliver and I showed off our Frisbee skills in a little competition with other people waiting around.  We both caught frisbees in a game of "500" and got free Red Rock T-shirts.  Exciting.  :)

Yes.  I am a champion.  And I love that mountain.

Red Rock Rhythm finally made it!  Feeling good.  And tired.  And hungry!

We'll let the cartwheel be Oliver's trademark.  During one of his legs, which was a difficult dirt road (mostly uphill), Oliver busted out a cartwheel just as our van passed him.  We all cheered and screamed loudly and it was such a fun, random surprise.  Way to go, tough guy.  :)

Carly and Trent are a cute married couple, and Trent  was the driver of the 2nd van.  Probably a little hesitant going into it, but he was great and ended up having a fun time with everyone.

Carly is a sweetheart and a friend of mine from the Singles Ward.  We were also in the Relief Society presidency together and she is probably more complimentary than anyone I've ever met.  It was great and so fun to have her on the team.  

 The best thing about finishing a relay is eating afterwards!

 Pizza Factory bread sticks never tasted so good!

Waiting patiently for our delicious pizzas.

We were all so full and couldn't eat another piece of pizza.  But out of nowhere this sundae appears, and Amanda and Scott devoured it!  I laughed watching them... and felt sick all at the same time.  :)

Before leaving Sunday morning, we decided to take one more picture of our victorious stripey legs.  I really had such a great weekend and loved getting to know these people.  Such a fun time!

Some of you might be wondering about the status of my bowels and how everything turned out for this relay, in comparison to relays in the past.  Well... I'm sorry to say I didn't have a weekend free of stomach cramps, side cramps, tons of port-a-potty time, and lots of poop.  Sorry if that's too much info.  :)  On my very first run, I really thought I might die in the wilderness, or just poop my pants.  I felt soooo sick and had to walk for at least 10 minutes as I winced in pain.  My van wasn't anywhere nearby and I didn't have any toilet paper; otherwise I definitely would've ventured off to find a good spot to do my thing. I pushed through the pain and was able to run by the end of that leg, but it was sure frustrating.  For my other 2 legs, I had a killer side cramp through everything.  5 miles for one, and 5.5 miles for the other.  My bowels were fine but the side cramp was a doozy.  So even as much as I had "prepared" and "trained" and felt good about my physical condition before the relay, this weekend kind of rocked me.  But at least my legs weren't as sore as they were last year, and I'd like to say it's because I'm more "fit" than I was a year ago.  I just need to figure out the bowels so they're not such a hindrance to my performance.  I ate safe.  I drank lots.  I thought I was doing everything right.  That's the glory of having Ulcerative Colitis.  I think more than anything it's just my nerves and I kind of psych myself out.  I'll have to work on that.  :)

I went running tonight and my thoughts were all about Red Rock and the fantastic weekend I had.  It's fun to think about the friendships made, the crazy laughter, the late nights/early mornings, the music, and the running. I love the memories and really do think I'll do it again next year.  I'm shaking my head as I even say that, but I can't help it.  I love these relays!  

Relay "Runs"

Okay.  I'm leaving in 1 hour to drive down to Cedar City, Utah to check-in my 12 man team for this Red Rock Relay.  It goes 187 miles and ends right in front of Zion's Canyon with the huge mountains looming above you.  It is gorgeous and the scenic adventure is so worth it.  But here's my issue.

Ulcerative Colitis.  I'll post more about this some time in the future.  But it's an intestinal condition that is worsened by stress.  Relays stress me out.  Especially THIS one because I'm the captain and the past few weeks, and DAYS, especially, have been super stressful.  I've had a continual headache (and I never get headaches) and my stomach feels uneasy and I'm in and out of the bathroom like it's a new trend.  So as far as my bowels go... they are going crazy.

This happened last year when I did this relay.  It was my very first one and I'd never done any kind of big race before, minus a 10K, so I was pretty clueless going into it.  I ate whatever I wanted the day before and definitely feasted on the free spaghetti dinner provided the night before.  *BAD IDEA*.  I literally had to stop at every port-a-potty on the race route to do my business.  And believe me.  There was business to be taken care of.  It was ridiculous and it seemed impossible that my body still had crap in it-- no pun intended-- to get rid of.  I was so sick all weekend but still managed to run my legs and come out alive.

I was a little more careful with the next 2 relays that I did and didn't have huge catastrophic bowel adventures.  However, I will never have a fear of port-a-potties because I've spent many life moments in them and they don't phase me at all.

But today, I feel sick.  I have a headache.  I shouldn't feel stressed because we're leaving soon and if I've forgotten something, oh well because it's too late.  I've gone to the bathroom at least 10 times already and have a 3-4 hour drive ahead of me.  This will be interesting.  I'm trying to trick my body and just be calm and say, "You're not stressed... you feel great... no problems here".  But my bowels are smarter than that.

Wish me luck.  Maybe throw out a prayer that my inner-self will be able to take control and put a stop to the madness.  But seriously.  When I say relay "runs"...  I guess that's what I get for signing up for this stuff. Stress.

I'm posting a few of my favorite pics from the Red Rock Relay in September 2010.  The crazy reason why I ever started doing these kinds of races.  Good times for everyone!

Our team name was "To Run or Not to Run"

Is it obvious that I was in charge of our team uniform??  :)

My van load with the boys.

Allyson, our trusty team captain.  Now I am fully aware why she had no desire to do this again.  At least the "team captain" part of the deal.

The 3 bars represent each leg of the course you ran.  Finished!

I love that huge mountain.

Me and Jessee, who was a fun teammate and became a great friend afterward.

Team reunion about 2 months after the relay.  Yay!  So fun to be together again.

Be excited to see NEW pictures some time soon!  Go "Red Rock Rhythm!!!"