Surprise Costume

Tonight I had plans to go to my Grandma's house with Cassity to play our usual game of "Hand & Foot" and eat treats and candy. Cassity told me she wasn't going to dress up, but I was going to wear my Superman costume anyway.  Little did I know, Cassity secretly had other plans!

I got home from work and this is what I found:

I totally laughed and couldn't believe how very ME-like she was!  Bandanna & Tie-Dye shirt... seriously, that's all you need to mock my running attire.  (See previous post for proof).  She had even splashed her face several times with water to try to capture the "sweat" that usually lingers on my skin for awhile after I run.

I was totally impressed!

So we went over to my Grandma's house in style and had a fun evening of playing cards and eating way too much.  As if mini candy bars weren't enough, my grandma also insisted on feeding us her homemade soup concoction (actually quite tasty) and pudding cake with whipped cream.  

(She was proud of her recent flower arrangement from one of her classes).  :)

Even though my Grandma only got 2 trick-or-treaters all night long, we had a good Halloween and I enjoyed another excuse to wear a fun costume.  And I was definitely proud of Cassity for her creativity and STYLE. :)

Halloween Half Marathon (Provo, UT)

Key Words/Phrases to Look for in this Post

Phone Call

Port-a-Potty

Three Musketeers

Friends

Good Charlotte

9

Miley Cyrus

12

I stressed over running this half marathon for the past several weeks.  I didn't feel physically prepared and I worried most about my bowels and pre-race jitters.  Well I'm happy to report that everything went well and it was a fantastic experience!

The day before the race I drank TONS of water, had a couple Gatorades, and went to the bathroom like crazy.  I ate oatmeal w/ bananas, 2 apples, one little piece of celery, even had a slice of pizza (oops), a big frosted sugar cookie (double oops), and later on some tasty macaroni & cheese from Noodles & Co.

I got a surprise phone call from Rebecca Miller that evening before the race.  She is a long time friend of the family and I had recently read her blog post about running a marathon a few weeks ago.  She is super-human and inspiring in all her accomplishments.  So when she randomly called me to wish me luck on my race and give me a few tips, I was all for it!  I picked her brain and asked her all kinds of questions.  The best advice she gave me was on how to pace myself and go out with a plan.  She explained how I needed to hold back in the beginning, push harder after the first couple of miles, then slow it down later on, and go strong in the end.  It was kind of comforting to have her "approval" to go slower than normal during the race.

I had a fun "Girls Night" with Cassity and Bekah, and it was a great way to calm my nerves and just relax.  I grilled them for their opinions on what I should wear-- which gloves & bandanna looked best with my tie-dye shirt. I know, I'm ridiculous, but I kind of care about my color coordination.  No, I didn't go all out with a cool costume.  I spent that energy on Justin Bieber for work.  And I sure didn't want to run 13.1 miles in skinny jeans, so I decided I'd just be me and stay comfy.  Tie-dye shirt and a bandanna.  Some people might have thought I was trying to be a hippie or something.  Nope, I usually run in bright colors anyway.  Ha!  Fooled them. :)

After a quick night of 4 hours of sleep, I woke up at 5am, showered, and got dressed in my race attire.  I had to go to the parking lot at the University Mall (luckily less than 1 minute away) and hop on a bus to ride up the canyon.  The timing was perfect; I got there at 5:45am, walked right onto a bus and we left just a few minutes later.  It was a huge caravan of charter buses from Orem up to Aspen Grove, and let's just say those canyon roads are pretty narrow and not necessarily good for buses traveling in both directions.  So for a while it was a little chaotic, trying to get everyone situated.  It was dark and cold and seemed like no one really knew where to go or what to do.  Finally we unloaded and trekked off to the giant, heated tents set up on the grassy field at Aspen.Grove.  I knew my first stop would be at the port-a-potties, then I found a corner of the tent to sit in while people filed in.

I was by myself, which felt kind of lame because I knew quite a few people who were also running it  I just didn't come with any of them.  Bekah was supposed to run it with me but started having hip problems in the last few weeks, so that was a bummer.  So I sat there and watched people mingle with excitement-- some with crazy, fun costumes, or bundled up in warm blankets.  Luckily I brought a hoodie and warm pants to wear over my running clothes, but I was still soooo cold and it was kind of miserable.  Finally I saw a friend of mine who was also sitting alone.  I got up and joined her and was happy to have someone talk to. The race started at 9am and it we still had 1 1/2 hours of waiting.  Boo. I was surrounded by creative costumes and felt kind of like a bum sitting there in my sweatshirt.  Oh well.  My biggest concern was staying warm.

Gradually, my toes became cold and numb and I was just chilled to the bone!  It was about 8:30am so I decided to make another run to the Port-a-Potty. Luckily, the sun was out and it felt like maybe it would warm up a little.  But the lines were long and I stood there for 30 minutes waiting-- all the while my toes were getting more and more frozen and numb.  The faster runners were starting at 9am, and they were starting the others at 9:20am.  I was definitely starting in the second group so still had plenty of time.  I decided I should take off my shoes before the race and rub my feet and toes to get the blood flowing.  But before that I got back in line for the port-a-potties to make sure I was all clear. :)

Turns out I was the LAST person to come out of the port-a-potties!  I stepped out and the field and tents were deserted.  Everyone was at the starting line, and right then I heard over the megaphone:  "We'll be starting in 3 minutes."  Yikes! I still had to tie my shoes, take off my warm layers, get my iPod ready, and throw my bag in the big semi-truck.  Not to mention it was a good distance to walk from where I was to the starting line.  Last minute panic!  So I jogged to the semi-truck, stripped off my clothes, grabbed my iPod, and tied my shoes tighter.  No time for a quick foot rub. Crap.  I hadn't even really stretched much, other than what I did while I was waiting in line.  Not a great way to start a half marathon.  I got situated just in time for the big crowd to start moving forward.  Here goes nothin'!

The first 5 miles were all downhill, from Aspen Grove, past Sundance resort, to the main road through Provo Canyon.  I didn't want to go too fast because it would burn out my quads and kill my knees.  I kept a pretty steady pace of 10 min. miles.  Even though Rebecca had advised me to try to run most of it at a 9:30 mile pace, I couldn't quite push it.  I figured just as long as I didn't slow down, I was doing okay.

I also realized that I didn't have any kind of treat to give me a sugar boost during the race.  Last year my doctor mentioned eating a few Pez, which I did, and I think it worked out just fine.  But this year I had nothing and hoped that the little cups of gatorade at the marked stops along the way would help me out.  I've never been one to eat the "chews" or "gu's" or anything like that, but I knew I'd probably need something. Luckily I was running behind this big dude in a Greenbay football jersey.  He was wearing a big fanny pack and suddenly candy started falling out. I ran past the first few pieces, then finally stopped to grab one.  A tiny 3 Musketeers.  Jackpot! Haha.  It was like this guy was a pinata or something.  There were tootsie rolls and other mini candy bars, but I was content with my tiny square.  So I kept that little silver-wrapped candy in my closed fist and decided I'd eat it when I felt like I needed a treat. I dropped it once and even ran back a few steps to retrieve it-- I was going to hang on to that thing like it was the last morsel of food in the world. :)

Despite a ridiculous side cramp that came about in the first couple of miles, I pushed through it and was feeling pretty good.  The downhill portion wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated and my legs weren't dead yet.  Around mile 5 we were running on the main canyon road.  Traffic was backed up since they'd closed the road off in favor of the runners crossing, and it was fun to have all these spectators looking on.  Finally we got to Vivian Park and Cassity and Bekah were there waiting to cheer me on!  It was so fun to have supportive friends to keep me happy and motivated.  They waited at 2 other points along the course and it was always a good "pick-me-up" to keep me going.  :)

I didn't have any rules against walking intervals but didn't want to walk more than I needed to.  Rebecca had advised me to walk at the water stops and take small steps, but not walk too long.  So I would stop and walk for maybe 15-20 seconds and force myself to run again.  At around mile 7 my feet really started aching.  Like, real intense pain.  And my knees were killing me.  All I wanted to do was stop.  I wasn't giving up... I just wanted to walk.  But then a certain song came on my iPod:  "Hold On" by Good Charlotte.  This was a song I put on my playlist in honor of Heather and all the health issues she's been dealing with.  I knew if I thought of her it would motivate me to keep going.  So of course this song came on and I thought, "Dang it... I have to keep running, I can't stop now!"  It was a pivotal moment and kept me going.  I had several songs on my playlist that I chose for specific people who have inspired me, or who can't run for themselves right now.  It was a good way for me to stay emotionally invested in my goal.

Finally I made it past the Mile 9 marker and felt a sense of relief:  Only 4 miles to go.  Even though I was in pain and didn't have loads of energy to try to run faster, I just kept going.  It was a weird point in the race because I somehow missed the Mile 10 and Mile 11 markers.  I was confused and this stretch of the course seemed to go on forever.  Did the race coordinators purposely leave these out to keep us guessing, or to trick us into suddenly finishing before we realized we'd gone that far?  As I was thinking about these mystery mile markers, another pivotal song came on.  "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus.  I'd never run to this song before, but I've always liked it and I appreciate the positive message it shares.  This was a song I added for a friend who couldn't complete all the marathons she'd planned on this year because of knee problems.  This song also reminds me of one of my favorite teens at the Boys & Girls Club-- she used to be obsessed with Miley Cyrus. :)  So here I am, lost between miles 9, 10, and 11, and "The Climb" helped me rise to a new level.  No pun intended.  It was a great moment!  I actually loved running to that song-- it was a good pace for me and I felt happy.

A few minutes later I saw the best surprise up ahead:  MILE 12 MARKER.  What?!  1 mile to go!  I looked at my watch and it read 2:07:00.  I was so surprised!  My goal was to beat 2:30:00, and I was going to make it in before 2:20:00!  A huge accomplishment.  I suddenly had all sorts of energy and ran faster and it felt good to pass a bunch of people on that last stretch.  I decided to hold back a little for a few  minutes so I didn't burn it all out, then pushed it hard for the last few minutes.  The finish line was near the Riverwoods off a side rode along the Provo River Trail.  I'd never been to the park before and didn't know exactly where the final "end" was located, but I just kept running.  The path was lined with spectators and it was like moving through a cattle shoot made of humans.  I was kind of stuck behind a group of people dressed up as jailbirds, and at the last minute I broke through, ran ahead, and crossed the finish line solo.  Yay!  It felt so good.

Cassity and Bekah were right there and I was relieved I didn't have to go looking for them. I grabbed a water bottle, a finisher medal, orange and apple slices, and moved my way through the big crowd to greet them.  I felt good, physically, and was so happy about my time!  2:18:30... 18 minutes faster than my first half marathon last year.  Good job me!

So now I feel a huge weight lifted off me.  I stress myself out with these races.  I'm just glad that it's all over and that I actually enjoyed it. :)  I don't have any races in the near future and I kind of like that.  I want to relax a little, eat freely, and exercise for fun, not because I have to.  These next few months will be chill but I refuse to let myself fall off track and go crazy in the other direction.  Nope. I want to stay fit, eat smart, and just be healthy.  Here's to a good and productive winter!

Dressing Up as Justin Bieber

I wasn't a huge Justin Bieber fan in the beginning.  

In fact, I enjoyed mocking him when all my teens were freaking out over their J Biebs 

obsession. I just thought, "Seriously? Some kid on YouTube? Lame."

Then on Black Friday last year, his cd was on sale for $7.99.  I totally bought it.

And I totally listened to it and actually liked it!

A few months later, Cassity and I decided to kind of mock all the teeny boppers and go see the Justin Bieber "Never Say Never" movie.  We both cried.

I LOVE THAT MOVIE.

Justin Bieber is tender.  I give him props for where he's at in his career.

Conclusion:  I like Justin Bieber! 

(Clarification:  I'm not in love or obsessed.  I just think he's a good kid and support him).

Another reason why I'm connected to Justin Bieber is we kind of had the same hairstyle for a while. Here's a picture of me and cardboard Justin Bieber in Toys R Us.  I took this picture to-- once again-- make fun of teens who were drooling over it in the store.  I have a similar picture in my office at work.

So I kind of feel like he's my buddy because almost every day, someone says something about me looking like Justin Bieber, or referring to our matching haircuts.

I usually stress over Halloween costumes.

This year I decided early on what my plan was.

Embrace the Justin Bieber look and go all out!

These are a few examples of J Biebs outfits that inspired the "costume" I created from clothes I found at D.I., Ross, & Saver's.

I loved putting together my outfit, in several shopping trips to different stores.  Thanks to Cassity and her sister Cherish, we finally found what I was looking for.  The last touch was the pair of shoes, which I found on a random trip to Saver's with Nathan.  Turns out they're old school "Supras" and Justin really wears them!

This picture proves that not everyone should wear skinny jeans. Sorry!

This is me with Kaitlyn, a staff member at the Boys & Girls Club.  I have so many fun pictures with me and the teens, but since I can't post them publicly, this is the best I can do to show my interactions with others. 

So I rocked the Justin Bieber character all night at the teen Halloween dance party.

Everyone knew who I was!  And even if they didn't at first, they'd say, "What are you, a gangster?"  Then I'd say, "Seriously?!  Who do I look like?"  They'd immediately respond, "Justin Bieber!"  Then I'd do a little celebration dance and move right along.  I had a blast and took lots of pictures with "fans."  I was pleased with how much the teens praised my outfit and costume.  Overall, it was a very successful event.

Here's one of my favorite Justin Bieber songs. It's always on my running playlist.  :)

Never Say Never

Baby Baby
(Another favorite. Cassity and I totally memorized the Ludacris rap part on a roadtrip once. Haha!)

Well anyway, that's my Justin Bieber story.

It was a good costume choice and I enjoyed being famous for a day. :)

Week 5-- Master Pass or Fail

This was by far the most difficult week I've had in the program.  Not because of material covered, papers assigned, or presentations given.  It was difficult because I wasn't at the top of my game; I wasn't doing well in our "mock counseling" sessions and it really rocked my confidence.

Like right now, at this very moment, I worry about whether or not I will pass or fail this assessment.

I am nervous!  My face is red and hot and has been that way for the past hour.

At least I can recognize the emotions and identify where they stem from.  It was when we had split up into groups and we tooks turns as the counselor, client, or observer.  This week we had specific scenarios to role play and it was all around a frustrating experience for me.  I looked up on the board and saw the topics we were going to cover:

1. Parents are getting divorced. 
2. Student is referred by someone else; issues with depression and suicide
3. Student found out she is pregnant
4.  Parents just don't understand their situation
5.  Problems with bullying.

So I was thinking, "Are you kidding me?  I deal with these issues almost on a daily basis." I could pretty much reinact each scenario and know the exact dialogue the teen used, and then be able to act out how I responded. 

*sigh*

Well, turns out, my skills aren't as great as I thought they were.

While I was in the middle of talking to my "client" about their parents getting a divorce, my instructor abruptly stopped me and said firmly, "You are asking all these questions for YOU.  It's not about YOU.  It's about THEM.  You need to ask questions for THEM."  Then she just backed away like, "Okay... now go ahead and do it right."  Sheesh!  I was a mess.  I know I was bright red, and usually when my authority approaches, I'm hoping (or expecting) them to compliment or give some kind of positive comment.  Obviously I have a hard time not being "perfect" or not doing it right.  I really struggled through that scenario.

*deep breaths*

We continued to rotate and take turns, and each of us kind of got tripped up in places.  But then my turn came around again and I was working with a client who's parent's "just didn't understand."  So I was trying to find out what was going on and how she felt at home, etc.  Suddenly my instructor stops me-- again-- and said, "What is the emotion she is feeling?!"  My mind was blank. Ummmmm.  So I finally said, "I can tell she's frustrated."  Instructor:  "Did she tell you that.?"  Me: "Umm... no."  Instructor:  "You should be able to identify the emotion in the first 3 questions, and then go off that."  *siiiiigh*  Okay.  Totally didn't do that.  So I recognized her frustration... and then had no idea where to go from there.  It was another poor performance from Bree and I was a mess again. :) 

But here's the thing, people.  I do this in real life every day!!  Maybe I'm just really crappy at the way I do my job and have never noticed. :)
There are specific things we need to cover in our FINAL INTERVIEW next week.  It will take 5-10 minutes, depending on how long it takes us to cover the 5 required parts of listening, etc.  So if we get it all in and take care of business... boom. Done.  They'll stop you.  Otherwise, you might start floundering after a while and dig yourself into a big 'ol hole and still not cover all the right points.

I'm freakin' stressed out.

After my second attempt, my instructor told me I'm thinking too much; trying too hard to cover all the points. That is true.  I have a hard time being natural when I'm totally being evaluate in a fake counseling situation. :)  Our "clients" next week will be students who are 2 years into the program.  We can hope they'll be "nice" and not be some ridiculous character, but we have no idea what we'll be dealing with.

I have a headache and know I have a lot to work on.  It's helpful my roommate has her master's in mental health counseling.  I will pick her brain all week and make her practice this with me over and over again.  It's just frustrating because I've felt so good and confident throughout this whole program... until now.

One more week to go.

My interview next week is at 7:35pm.  It will last 10 minutes tops.  After that, the instructors will review my grade for my paper and presentation, and tell me whether or not I have been accepted into the program.

This approaching half-marathon doesn't phase me anymore.  Bring that on.

As for the final interview... barf.

Running Mantra

I felt weird today.

Probably because of a non-stop stressful work day, and I was exhausted.

I was supposed to go to Britt's and run on the treadmill at their facility.

I was really looking forward to it.

Then I got an e-mail reminder about a stake youth committee meeting tonight.

*sigh*

By the time my meeting got out, I was a complete slug.

No energy.

No motivation.

All I wanted to do was go to Wendy's and Baskin Robbins and eat my face out.

I went home instead, so at least that's one good step.

But I made myself freakin' pancakes.

I ate them with syrup and peanut butter and powdered sugar.

And then I felt sick, so I brushed myself to prevent more eating.

I was supposed to run 3 miles today.

No running took place.

I just didn't want to do anything.

I'm running a half-marathon in 4 days. WHAT?!

Then I read a blog post from my sister-in-law, Annalece, who isn't quite my sister-in-law, but she's married to Javi, who is the brother of my brother-in-law.  She's quite the amazing person.

Anyway!  She shared this little quote picture and it was JUST what I needed!

I needed this!!!

I will say that over and over again during the race when I want to stop and give up:

I RUN BECAUSE I CAN.

Last year, my friend Jessee told me how she always needs a "mantra" to chant to herself when she runs a race.  The one she used was, "It's you vs. you."  I decided to use "I dare you to keep running" when I ran my first half-marathon, taken from Switchfoot's song, "I Dare You to Move."

Now I know what I'll be telling myself as I pound the pavement on Saturday:

I run because I can.

And I think that will really help me.  

No more slug Bree.

... Another Blind Date

Hey, so remember Hiking Boy?  He called me today!  I hadn't heard from him since he randomly called me to tell me about the hang gliding deal he saw on the internet.

I haven't gone hang gliding yet-- still debating.

Anyway, I chatted with Hiking Boy for a few minutes.  I asked him about hang gliding and he said he'd gone 3 times already.  Wow!

Clue #1-- He went hang gliding without me.  He must not be interested in me, which is okay.

So we kept talking, and I was thinking, "Really, this boy is so sweet, but so formal"... haha. :)

And then he finally says this:  Well I don't want to offend you and I hope this goes over well..."

Ummm... okay??  (I was totally curious to see what was about to come out of his mouth.)

He told me he has a friend he'd like to set me up with, and was wondering if that would be okay.

Relief.  Really?!  He's calling to set me up with his friend?  I actually thought that was AWESOME!  First of all, that gives closure to the lingering option of Hiking Boy who is 8 years younger than me and just seems so YOUNG but there was always that "what if" thought.

Clue #2-- He wants to set me up with his friend.  He's totally not interested in me!  I'm okay with that. :)

So the rest of the conversation was actually pretty fun and I told him of course I'd go out with his friend.  We discussed how me and this other guy should get in touch, and finally decided it's best to avoid Facebook and do the old-fashioned phone call and REAL blind date.  When I asked Hiking Boy what his name was, he told me his first name-- purposely left out the last name.  I called him on it, but thanked him because I really don't want to go looking for him on Facebook.  Let's just keep it good and old-fashioned.

Then Hiking Boy suggested maybe we could double. Haha, well sure!

Clue #3-- He wants to set me up with his friend AND wants to do a double date with a different girl.

But really, I'm totally okay with all of this and I respect Hiking Boy even more for just being up front and honest about his thoughts.  He never came out and said, "Hey, I think you're a great person but I just don't think you're right for me."  He did say he thought I was fun and we had a good time together... but I'm just assuming he figured I'd fit better with someone a little older and maybe a little further along in life.  I accept!

So now it's just that weird waiting period where I know this other guy has the "go ahead" from Hiking Boy to call me... and hopefully that will happen sooner than later.  I know the guy's first name, but I won't reveal it.  I will give him a nickname, just like all the others, but I'll have to meet him first to know what kind of nickname works best.

Until then... Hiking Boy just might prove to be a stepping stone to something great.  You never know.  :)

Week 4-- Presentation Done!

Today I turned in a 12 page paper and did a 5 minute oral presentation.  I worked for HOURS on these the last few days, and even part of last week.  This is a huge CHANGE in my academic habits.  I knew I couldn't leave it all 'til the last minute, and tried to work on a little bit each day.  I finally tackled the paper by Monday night, but then I still had to come up with some kind of presentation!

I stress over these things, but really... they always turn out okay. :)

I love Power Point!  I spent WAY too much time picking out just the right font with the perfect colors and shadowing.  I loved including pictures and clipart and doing all kinds of slide transitions and animations and what not.  Oh yeah, it was good.  Unfortunately, when I popped in my zip drive in the class computer to project on the screen, my sweet, perfect fonts didn't transfer over to this older computer, and I was a little bummed.  But I still delivered my presentation and didn't go over time.

I will confirm that I DID juggle some balls and spin a basketball on my fingers as part of my presentation.  Gotta love the visuals. 

My teacher and 2 "guest instructors" were observing and evaluating.  One of my classmates said she could totally tell that they loved my presentation.  They were saying things like, "Wow, " and "oooh, ahhh" when I added my tricks.  I included THIS PICTURE at the beginning of my presentation to explain how much I didn't like middle school or high school. :)  But somehow I'm over it and want to be a junior high school counselor!  Yee Haw.

500 Days of Summer girl told me she loved my presentation.  Her exact words were, "You finished your presenation and I just wanted to hate you because you're so good"... but I'll take that as-- she really likes me and just can't hate me.  :)  Others gave me nice compliments and I felt good about it.

But don't you hate that time period AFTER you finish a presentation when you sit there and think of all the things you wish you WOULD HAVE said?  The things you rehearsed for hours and then totally left out of your dialogue?  So I kind of beat myself up for awhile, but I've decided what's done is done, and I think I did a good job.

As for my paper, I have no idea how much they'll pick it apart or scan for the nitty gritty details... but I worked hard on it, got good feedback from Brittney and another friend, and I turned in my best effort. 

I liked having the 2 bonus instructors there to observe us "in action" during class.  They'll be there again next week and continue to watch and listen.  One lady, Kim, actually knows my good friend Katie Bastian, so that was a fun common interest to talk about.  I really like her and would love to do an internship with someone like her-- fun and animated and spunky.  The other instructor is a man and although he wasn't super lively, he did an activity with us and I really liked his demeanor and the way he talked to us.  I like picturing them in their "school counselor" roles and how they might interact with students.  Then I think about myself and try to see myself doing the same thing. 

One thing Kim told me is that University of Phoenix is the best school counseling program in the state.  Here's why!!!  Most of the class instructors ARE school counselors currently, or HAVE BEEN school counselors in the past.  She explained how different it is to sit in a class of someone who is only "educated" in the field, but has never done a day of school counseling in their life.  Whereas, at University of Phoenix, the instructors can give you real life experiences and send you away with real tools and practices to use that have worked for them.  Her "testimony" of counseling solidified my happy feelings of deciding to pursue my degree from University of Phoenix.  So far I'm really enjoying it! 

2 weeks left of this assessment program.  The last week will be a "mock counseling" session with someone who will role play as our client.  Kind of like the real deal.  But we don't have any assignments due next week so I'll be able to relax for a little while.

One of my classmates is a single mom with 4 children, but I learned that she's a runner! She also did the Red Rock Relays in May and Septmenber, and the Ragnar Wasatch Back in June.  Another girl chimed in about her expriences with sprint triathlons (my goal for next year).  It was fun to just talk to each other about our lives and discover how much we have in common. 

I also treated myself to a sandwich at the cafe place they have here in the building.  It was shredded pulled pork on flat bread with ranch dressing and vegetables.  Holy cow, it was sooooooooooo good!  After my successful presentation, I feel I deserved it. :)

I'm excited to go home now!

Bree is happy.  :)

Bike Ride Date in the Canyon!

Ha.  You were probably thinking this was a date with a NON-RELATIVE boy, but guess what... my most enjoyable dates seem to be with my nephews, dad, or brother.  So... until some magical boy decides to show up for me, I'll continue to have fun with the current men in my life.

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

We couldn't have picked a more perfect day to go biking in Provo canyon.  The leaves have changed, the skies were blue, and it really felt like a warm, summer day!  I loved it.  Everything around us was beautiful.

We rode from the mouth of the canyon up to Vivian Park, which only took us about 32 minutes.  Not bad at all!  For some reason I had been expecting it to be much farther away and wasn't sure how physically exhausted I would be.  Obviously I psyched myself out, because this ride was great!  A good, steady uphill, which meant a fun and easy downhill the whole way back.

We hung out at the park for an hour or so-- if only we'd been able to strap a frisbee to our bikes!  It was perfect weather and I was itching to play.  But instead, we talked about my pathetic financial situation and Nathan gave me a good "Personal Finances 101" session and many helpful hints.  He's supposed to e-mail me with a summary of what we talked about (*ahem Nathan*) so I can remember all his good advice and really put it to use.  I appreciate his knowledge, experience, and expertise in an area where I definitely could use some help!  There's nothing like discussing your finances with your brother who's 6 years younger than you. :)

I was so happy the leaves were so colorful!  The mountains were so bright and vibrant.

I paid careful attention to the trail and the uphill/downhill portions because this is the very course I will be running for the half-marathon in 2 weeks!  I really love that the majority of the trail is lined with color-changing trees, or the Provo River gushing along.  It was peaceful and lovely.  I just hope I can enjoy it that much when I'm running.  Even on my bike, towards the end, I could fore-see where my "I'M SO EXHAUSTED" points will be, and where I'll have to tell myself to just keep pushing it because the end is in sight.  

Action shot of Nathan.  Yee haw.

Overall, we had a fantastic adventure.  There were all kinds of people out-- bikers, runners, walkers, roller-bladers (Yay!  I'm not the only one!)  Long-boarders, etc.  But for most of the ride we could just stay side-by-side and chat away about life.  Nathan and I have always been close friends-- even when we were little-- I was always on his side. :)  I'm glad we're still good buddies.  I think we need to do these kinds of outings more often.  

It was a good day!

NOT READY for Half-Marathon

Here's the thing.  I'm stressing out over this Halloween Half-Marathon, only I'm really trying not to let the rest of my body know that I'm stressed.  Otherwise, I'll be on the toilet for the next 2 weeks. :)  So how do I handle this situation?  That stresses me out too-- trying not to be stressed.

After the Red Rock Relay I was in a good running groove and I felt confident about officially registering for the race, and paying the $45.  Then I got sick-- the kind of sick where you wish you could just cut your own head off to feel better.  But the worst part is I missed 2 weeks of running... the very 2 weeks that I'd planned to run like crazy and really build up my mileage. 

One of the sick weeks was the week after Cassity had surgery for a deviated septum in her nose, so it was like my facial/nasal pain was shadowing her's.  The second sick week for me was after Heather had her baby and she was actually very sick, herself-- even spent a few nights in the hospital-- so the timing of me not feeling well was terrible.  I tried my best to still be supportive and helpful to those around me.  But I'll be the first to admit that I am a huge WHIMP when I get sick.  Such a whiner and complainer.

Yesterday was the first day I'd gone running since the sickness phase.  I did an easy 45 minutes in 10/1 intervals. That means I'd run 10 minutes, walk 1 min, and repeat until I'd gone for 45 minutes.  It felt good.  This morning I didn't have a lot of time, so I did the 10/1 interval routine for a little over 30 minutes.  So as great as it is that I'm running and feeling healthy again... this girl is NOT ready to go bust out a 13.1 mile run!

(The infamous shoe that will take me to the finish line)

Naturally, this should be the week that I do a long run... like 9 or 10 miles.  After going a couple weeks without running at all, the thought of suddenly running 10 miles just makes me want to barf.  And it physically makes my legs feel weak just thinking about it.  Lame, I know. 

I have plans to go on a long bike ride with my brother on Saturday... probably not the best day to squeeze in a long run as well.  So at this point, I'm planning (and hoping) I can do a 10 mile run on MONDAY.  Monday morning would be ideal, but we all know I'm not a morning person.  On the other hand, who wants to run 10 miles at night running towards car headlights?  Such a tough decision.  I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping I can bust it out. 

Next week is the last week I can really push it and train hard;  then that last week in October needs to be a "resting" period, with maybe one or two small runs so my body is up to par for the big race on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29th.

Wish me luck!!!

p.s.  I won't even mention the part about trying to decide if I should run "in costume" or not.  That's just unnecessary stress I don't want to have.

GOLDFISH CRACKERS

My Greatest Weakness

(I seriously cannot eat enough of these!)

Week 3-- Master's Program

Here I am in the student center after my class at University of Phoenix.  Usually it is around 9:30pm at this point, but tonight the instructor let us out at 7:45pm.  What a blessing!!  I haven't been feeling very well AND we have a 10 page paper due next week, along with an oral presentation.  This past week was stressful, emotional, and exhausting, so now I only have 1 week to do everything and it's a little overwhelming.  But the instructor felt like we all could use this extra time to work on our papers, and after observing us doing our interactive "interviewing" with other classmates, she thinks we're good to go for now.  THANK YOU. 

I was looking forward to coming to class today because I feel on track with everything and engaged in what I'm learning. Usually, in high school or at BYU, I hadn't finished reading the assignment or didn't quite understand what we were learning, so I never felt quite up to par in class.  But I have more confidence now-- at least FOR NOW-- and I don't dread coming to class.  That might change in a few months :)  but so far everything is good.

We took one of those personality tests to see which category you fit in, and how you might interact with other "colors" of people.  It's a 10 question survey called REAL Colors (Orange, Green, Blue, Gold) and you have to number your preference for the different options they give you for answers.  After taking the test and tallying up my points, I learned that I am very much a BLUE person. Last week, when my instructor was telling us about it, she casually added that she would assume that I am an ORANGE person.  I wasn't sure what that symbolized, but my second dominant color is ORANGE, which I am happy about.  BLUE is very much an emotional person-- someone who is empathetic, dependable, cares about others, etc.  ORANGE is active, spontaneous, free-spirited, adventurous, etc.  It made me happy to think that my instructor pin-pointed me as an ORANGE person last week-- she must see my personality shining through.  :)  The majority of us were BLUE people in the class;  3 others were GREEN, which are more logical, organized, etc.  Something I am totally not. :)

We talked about a few other personality tests and what we can learn from them, and how they help us work with others.  This is the kind of information I need to include in my paper.  I also need to explain why I chose to go into counseling, what skills I have, what personality traits do counselors need to have, what my day will be like as a school counselor, etc.  So it's actually kind of a "fun" paper because I get to make it personal, but of course it still needs to be in APA format and I need to use references, etc.  If I just set my mind to it and start writing NOW... I'll be okay.  That's my plan:  after this blog post I am just going to start typing and see what comes of it. 

Anyway, we also practiced interviewing each other and applying those 5 basic skills that we learned about last week.  I liked being able to watch others as we took turns playing the role of the interviewer, client, or observer.  One girl even cried in her role as the client because she's had a hard week and really was just being herself.  It made us all cry too.  Oh, look at us BLUE emotional people who care about others. :)  I usually don't like role play stuff, but it's necessary to learn.  It's like being in the MTC or participating in mission district meetings.  Initially, you don't really want to role play, but once you've done it, you were probably touched by the Spirit and felt better afterward.  So that's how I felt about the interviews tonight.

This Portfolio class is half over.  These first 3 weeks were the "soak it all in" period of what we're learning.  These last 3 weeks will be more intense, as 2 more instructors will join us and will observe us and evaluate and assess whether or not we are fit to begin the actual counseling program. It's a pass or fail decision. I feel confident that I'll be fine, but it's still nerve-racking to know people are watching you!  I will need to "dress for success" next week, bring my 10 page paper, and have a nice 5 min. presentation with some kind of visual.  I'll be thinking of something creative... and in the mean time I need to get started on this paper.

Wish me luck!

Week 2-- Master's Program

Today was a great day.  I'm so relieved!  After this second class I feel much more confident and capable in being successful in the school counseling program.  At first I sat there for a while, feeling somewhat frustrated that I don't have my "class buddy" to chat with or hang out with during the dinner break.  As I mentioned last week, my partner to work with is the only guy in the class.  He doesn't talk.  Like, ever.  Not because he's a jerk or anything... he just doesn't talk.  So as everyone else around us is chattering and laughing, I'm sitting next to a tree stump who doesn't respond much if I even try to make conversation.  So I just don't.  I wondered today if I should just sit somewhere random next week.  There's no assigned seating, but it's one of those things where people kind of have "their seats" now and it's an unspoken agreement that we will continue sitting in "our seats."  I like the location of my seat... right in the center of our little group of 10 people, but I wish I was at a table with someone else.  No offense to the quiet guy.  (Turns out he is married with 4 kids, so I guess I have to give him a break and just think of him as a quiet Dad trying to advance his career.  Good for him.)

So anyway, I was feeling a little slumpish at the beginning of class today.  Luckily that changed.

Somewhere in the course of 3 hours, I blossomed a little and found myself.  We split up into groups and did a little "teaching" in our groups and explained the different skills we were learning. Luckily a chattery girl joined me and Quiet Guy so there was more energy flowing in the group. The thing I love is that so far, everything we're learning is 100% applicable to my job at the Boys & Girls Club.  Either "I've been there, done that" or it's a skill I am totally going to try out on the teens.  It's easy for me to grasp these concepts and embrace them.  The information isn't useless or hard to understand.  I like it. 

Then our instructor assigned us each one of those skills we'd just discusses, and we were to do an oral presentation on our specific skill.  We had 30 minutes for a dinner break and we would all do our presentations when we returned. 

Here's the thing.  I stress out big time over little things like this.  Not just in the moment, but like this WHOLE DAY I was nervous and anxious for this oral presentation.  I didn't know what we'd be presenting on so it's not like I could practice or anything.  I just knew it was coming, and that stressed me out.

So in my 30 minutes of dinner break, eating an apple instead of going somewhere with the fun, chattery people, I took my notes and practiced my presentation out loud.  Outside.  It was fun.  That's how I've learned to do my "talks" in church.  I just sit on my bed and start talking and see how things flow.  Then I can go back and change what I didn't like, or recognize that my introduction was lame, and do it again.  So there I was, outside in the dark, talking to myself.  A few people walked by; I tried to act normal. :)  But once I'd gone over my little presentation enough to feel good about it, I walked back inside and was confident I would do okay.  I had 5 minutes to spare. 

My topic was the first skill used in basic interviewing: "Attending Behavior," which basically addresses the need to show genuine interest in the client, make it all about THEM and not YOU, and provide an atmosphere that will help them feel comfortable and allow them to freely express their thoughts.  The 3 main ways to do this are:  physical posture (sit comfortably and be natural), eye contact, and verbal communication to let the client know you're listening and interested.  So that's the basic idea of the info I was sharing in my presentation.

So there were 5 people that went before me.  Each person shared their presentations on one of the 5 skills, so another girl presented the same skill that I had been assigned.  I like this girl a lot-- she reminds me of the girl on 500 Days of Summer & Elf (Zoey something).  Anyway, as outspoken and chipper as she is during class, she was super nervous and flustered during her presentation.  It surprised me... but it also helped me relax a little and think, "Okay, I can do this."  The instructor and all classmates were evaluating each presenter, and then we shared our comments right after their presentation-- pro's and con's.  I have no problem raising my hand and sharing feedback & comments, and I liked being able to speak openly during this portion of class. It felt good seeing my instructor nod her head in agreement when I shared the things I had observed, etc.  (I'm finding that I am very much a "seeker of approval" from my authorities, when it comes to stuff like this.  I don't kiss up or try to be the teacher's pet... it just helps to have that kind of comfort when the teacher confirms that you're on the right track, or you're doing well).

So finally it was my turn.  I was nervous of course, but I was excited to present my portion because I had prepared a more fun and enthusiastic approach to the assignment, more-so than those who had already presented.  I was confident and happy and didn't use any notes at all.  I glanced at my instructor a few times (right in front of me) and she had a huge smile on her face.  (phew!) I really had fun up there, and "showed" the class all the aspects of the skills I was presenting on.  --being physically comfortable (not folding your arms), making eye contact (but not too much or that gets creepy), and responding verbally to what the client is saying.  I had an intro, an "outline," and a solid conclusion.

When I finished, everyone immediately clapped and I took a cheesy little bow. I'm not telling you this to brag or to throw myself into the #1 spot.  I just want to describe the change in my confidence that took place from the beginning to end of class today.  The first comment on my presentation was 500 Days Girl.  She said, "How did you DO that?!  It was flawless!"  Another girl loved how energetic and engaging I was.  Another said I just totally boosted the energy level in the room and everyone was happier.  Another said she only heard the word "Um" once, but it still flowed and wasn't an issue.  It felt good. 

I have "post-presentation nerves"... meaning I usually shake or tremble more AFTER the presentation (or talk at church) than during the actual moment of speaking.  It's weird.  So I sat down in my seat, feeling very proud of myself, and was shaking quiet a bit.  I could also feel that my neck and face were probably bright red, but I can't help that, unfortunately.

But here is my concluding thought:  Everyone was so complimentary and "in awe" of this random presentation of mine.  I think it was a great opportunity for me to show them who I am and what I can do... and hopefully they'll want me to be in their group when it comes time to do group presentations and what not.  Don't let me be with Quiet Guy just by default!

Also, one girl said I should be a motivational speaker, bless her heart.  I told her I always get so nervous, but somehow it usually turns out okay.  *Ding!*  I'll consider it a blessing.

So overall conclusion to WEEK 2-- loved it.  I like what I'm learning, which is basically just very general info to see if we can apply it and show that we're capable of really sticking it out in the actual school program.  We have one more week of info to soak in;  then the last 3 weeks are evaluation periods and 2 more instructors will join us to observe.  Kind of intense!  As much as I stress ahead of time... things usually turn out okay.

I just need to keep telling myself that. :)

Honesty is Always the Best Policy

See this car?

See the shiny silver paint?

See the BMW symbol?

Feel the expensive value?

Now pretend you are just getting into your car and the wind blows your door wide open and "thud"... it hits that shiny, silver car.

First reaction:  Check for a mark.

Results:  Yes, there's totally a mark.  A white smudge from the paint of your own car, along with a tiny dent where it hit.

We'll call this a slight "ding."

Crap.  Now what?

Result:  Vigorously start rubbing the white mark off the silver car... only all of your efforts are going absolutely no where.  Lick your finger; keep rubbing... rub harder!  Nope, still nothing.

Still crappy.

Leave a note?  You're poor! You have no money!  This rich car person will suck your bank account dry if they want to totally fix this "ding" and get all their money's worth.  You can't handle that.

Result:  Drive away and feel totally guilty.  You know you can't just leave it like that.  You assume the owner of the car is at the park playing softball, but you don't know how to find the owner.  You assume the car will be there for another hour, so you keep driving.  You call a few "life line" friends to seek advice, and finally one friend has a good answer:

"Call David."  He's your State Farm insurance guy.  Also your brother-in-law, which makes it even better!  

By the time he calls you back, you've driven 10 minutes away to visit your sister and her brand new baby.  You tell David what happened and ask for his "professional advice" on what to do.  Is a ding really all that bad?  Will this BMW person go crazy on you?  David's suggestion is to leave a note with your phone number.

Dang.  You knew you'd have to do that.

Luckily there is still someone at work where you originally left.  You call him, dictate the note he is to write on a post-it, and ask him to leave it on the nice, shiny, silver BMW with a white smudge on their door.  Then you hope that person never calls.

Change Scene.

It's the next morning.  Your phone rings and it's not a number you recognize.  You suddenly realize BMW person never called last night... but this is probably them.  You let it go to voice mail and wait anxiously.  A few minutes later you feel totally nervous and listen to the voice mail that was left most likely by the BMW person.

Voice mail:

(A nice, friendly lady voice)

"Hi, this is __________, the owner of the BMW last night.  I wouldn't worry about it. Yeah, it left a ding, but I know accidents happen so it's fine.  Call me if you want to talk more or have any questions."

RELIEF!!!

You feel SOOOOO happy and SOOOO glad you did the right thing by leaving the note.  Otherwise you would be haunted the rest of your life thinking, "WHAT IF?" and wondering if that BMW person is hating your guts, trying to hunt you down.

But you were honest.  You owned up to your mistake.  And you were blessed with a kind BMW owner who made your day.

You call the nice BMW lady back and thank her for her kindness.

Congratulations.  :)

Rockin' Out on the Drums

We took this video at my Mission President's home.  

I 'd played the weekend before at our mission reunion and was totally nervous.

This night I came more relaxed and ready to just have fun!  :)

I can't remember the exact moment of wanting to play the drums, or deciding to play the drums.  All of a sudden, there I was in 6th grade, playing simple beats on a practice pad at home, and enjoying the concert band in Junior High.  My elementary school choir director, Mary Wilmer, let me borrow a simple drum set she had, and we kept it in Nathan's room.  I practiced and had fun, and remember using my drumsticks to hit anyone on the hand or wrist if they tried to come in and mess me up.  (Haha!  That's terrible!)

Anyway, my mom played the drums in her younger years and taught me a valuable skill:  how to properly do a drum roll.  It involves letting each stick fall and "bounce" or "vibrate" on the drums naturally and gradually moving the sticks faster and faster until each movement connects with the next into a nice, smooth roll. :) 

I have no idea how I ever learned to play the drum set.  It takes more skill than just pounding out a single rhythm and reading music in concert band.  But I'm so glad I learned how!  It's super fun. :)

I played the drums in Jazz Band in 8th grade and all through high school.  I also switched off playing piano but there were definitely other students who were far more talented than I was.  EXAMPLE:  The star piano player, Alan Chang, now plays and performs with Michael Buble.  So, that's kind of a big deal.  I can't top that! :)  But I loved participating in band with such talented individuals.  It was a privilege and I enjoyed having the "girl drummer" reputation.

My drumming days kind of faded after high school, simply because I didn't have a drum set and went off to college.  I still played piano continually and ended up taking up guitar as my other main instrument.  So after all these years of performances, band directors, concerts, and eventually writing my own songs... Music is definitely a huge part of who I am and I love it.  :)