For You

Wherever we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems.
~Nelson A. Rockefeller

Until I get better…

Sick-o

Oh Man...this weekend did not go as planned.

Yeah, we got some snow, but most of it is melted now.  But not in the places that I need it to be...like places I work.  Ooplah.

I did finally get my AH box and can't wait to show you the goods!  Baby artichokes?! What do I do with those?!

I did get my long run in for the weekend with Whit (10 miles) but it did not end well...or the middle even.  I ended up begging a gym to let me use the bathroom, if you know what I mean.  And everything got worse from there.

I think I've ended up with a stomach bug and currently can't keep much of anything in my body so cheerios and watered down gatorade is all I'm getting and resting up.  Thank goodness I had this cute guy to help take care of me...we seem to be taking care of each other the past few weekends, as he was sick the one before. 

Such a doll. :)

Sleep time.  And running to and from visits to the porcelain god.  Hopefully I'll be better tonight.

It Came

It finally came.  The white stuff is here:

I woke up far too early for a day off and didn’t know what to do with myself.  I’m doing some updating and research for my fundraiser (expect posts next week!) and reading blogs. It’s kinda amazing how many I read in a weekend…yeesh!

I went shopping yesterday for some goods, knowing I wouldn’t really be able to get to the grocery store (I know, doesn’t look like much snow but I am a super huge wimp driving in this stuff!) and tempted myself enough to buy Bob’s Red Mill’s Old Country Style Muesli after reading about Katy having so much of it on her recaps of her visits to NZ!

I let my sit for a few minutes in some USVAB then added a banana, some blueberries and a dollop of pb on top.

I loved the dried dates in the muesli.  I forgot how much I enjoy them in cereals (I used to eat them in something a lot when I was a kid but don’t quite remember).

I definitely need to eat this with yogurt next time or have more of the muesli because I was no where near satisfied.  What gives!?  Nothing seems to keep me full these days!  So of course I snacked on the best crackers on this planet.

Please excuse the mark on my table.  My mug leaks for some reason and I can’t figure out where the crack is.  Makes me sad, it was a big mug for lots of tea…

Now I’m debating a run or…well, being stuck in the apartment.  Oh, but I am waiting for an email to go pick up my organic produce box since the highways were closed for a while… 

Anyhow, I was supposed to run a 1/2 marathon next weekend but because Whit’s knee has been bothering him (Yep, the boy has RUNNER’S KNEE and we’re trying to find the best shoes and everything for him…SUGGESTIONS!? ) I’ve decided my training is going to change a bit.  I think I’m going to start upping my miles now that I have more time and so I can get to the higher mileages slower and without hurting myself (knock on wood, fingers crossed).  Off to order and read No Meat Athletes guide to running and fueling for a marathon!

All the Cool Kids Are Doing It

Ok, this storm just needs to get here, dump it’s snow then freeze everything afterwards so I can stop sitting at the window waiting for it!  Hopefully I’ll wake up tomorrow morning and they’ll be a white layer of fluff outside my door…we’ll see, since last time we had a very tiny dusting the the anticipated 6 inches! Hah!

So, it’s Friday night, I’m chill’n out with Hulu, TJ’s Popcorn and Honey as I’ll be here for a while stuck in my apartment…so I’m going to do what all the cool kids are doing and fill out the ABC’s Survey.  I know, I know…probably nothing exciting, but maybe I’ll get a smirk out of you.  Hah.

A.  Age- 25
B.  Bed Size:  Queen, but my cat takes up more room than I.
C. Chore I dislike: Taking out the trash. I’ll clean a toilet before doing that!
D.  Dogs- Love the big ones, but the small ones…they’re not dogs if they’re smaller than my cat. And my cat is big. Haha!

E.  Essential Start of Your Day – Water.  Always gulp a glass of cold water.
F.  Favorite Color – Blue, green and purple.  Do I have to choose one?
G. Gold or Silver ?  Silver, Gold is too bling for me!
H.  Height – 5’6”
I . Instruments you play or played ?  Piano for almost 9 years into high school and the flute and piccolo for 2 years in junior high.  I can play the recorder too :)
J.  Job Title – Avian Field Biologist.  Who else do you know with that title!? :D

K. Kids – None, unless Honey counts.  She got an attitude that would put some teenagers to shame!

L.  Live – Sunny and beautiful California!  Oh yeah!
M. Moms Name – Gwyn
N.  Nicknames – Mel, Meli, Lissa, Melly, Missy Miss, Missy…
O . Overnight Hospital stay –  None, which would surprise most who know me, as I get hurt far too often!
P.  Pet Peeve –Chewing with your mouth open. I’ll shut it for you if you don’t!
Q. Quote from a movie – I don’t quote movies very well…or at all.  Talk to my brothers, they can tell you anything.
R.  Righty or Lefty – Righty
S. Siblings – Younger twin brothers

T.  Time you wake up?  Right now 6am.  But during the summer, it’s around 4 or 4.30.  Yep, blame my job…
U.  Underwear – The kind that fits.  And doesn’t give wedgies.
V.  Vegetables You don’t like? Cooke carrots.  And peas. And lima beans.
W.  What makes you run Late?  You guys and your interesting blogs.  I kid…usually making lunch!
X.  X-rays have you had any?  Foot, toe, fingers, wrists, teeth and I’m sure something else…((crazy accident prone right here!))
Y.  Yummy Food you make – Muffins, bread, brownies and CHEESECAKE.

Z.  Zoo animal Favorite? BIRDS!!!!  But I don’t like zoos, animals should be FREE!

~~

What, you want to see food?  How about pretty pictures from the field…those are so much more interesting to look at!

Oh it was a rough night of sleep. I was hot, then cold, then sweating, then charlie horses all over!  Lets just say I woke up with bigger bags under my eyes and mumbling out of my mouth…and lets not forget the stomach cramps because I was so hungry!  Crazy what a day full of exercise can do to you overnight!

So I got into the kitchen asap and prepped my favorite apple pb oatmeal, with extra pb than normal…I should have added in a cut up TJ’s Dark Chocolate PB Cup Whit brought last night…but I was too busy inhaling my oats!

I was so focused on getting out into the field and finishing up my work before the impending storm came into the mountains…you could see it just north of us…

But if you looked south it was absolutely gorgeous!!!  The desert is always so much more beautiful and sunny!

I got hungry for lunch and was ready to go!  I might have been in a bit of a hurry this morning so lunch was very…to go: TJ’s crackers, TJ’s Hummus, TJ’s Persian Cucumbers, and four clementines (I ate two extra afterwards).  Such a great combo!

It was a bit on the light side, though volume wise good, so I snacked on a Carrot and Raisin muffin a bit after.  Still good even though it’d been in the freezer!

The cows were trying to avoid the wind…poor babies…having to hide behind the junipers for some protection

It was a long afternoon of running around getting stuff done before the storm…gah!  Anyhow, by the time I finish everything and finally sat down to think about something other than birds (like how I emailed my local new station asking if they would do a segment on NEDA Week and THEY DID!!!!! AHHHHH!H!!!!!  I don’t know if I was my email or not that got them to do it but I was excited anyhow!) I was hungry for dinner.  I needed to use up the rest of my chickpeas so I mixed them with some diced tomatoes and my new favorite dressing from TJ’s: Thai Peanut Dressing!  OMG this stuff is to DIE FOR!!!  All on top of mixed salad, carrot slices and cucumbers…death by salad.

No joke.  But I needed carbs, so I had a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin to round it out…

And some popcorn.  But that’s cause I’m glued to Hulu and need something to keep me from eating too much chocolate…since that Coffee Attune Bar already made it’s way down my throat with another calling my name…

2nd Puberty

Hey all…wow what a day.  I was excited to get out in the field because it was HIKING time but man was it cold and windy!  And those hills kicked my booty!  I don’t have any pictures from the hike, but I’ll certainly have some later!  It’s too pretty not to take photos of!

Anyhow, I started the day off with a cereal mess, as I’m trying to use up my cereals so I can make my own granola!  Yay!  I’m searching for a good PB or Cinnamon Granola to try…suggestions?  Anyhow, I combined some heart to heart, go lean crunch, pb, an apple and blueberries.  Was great to hold me over.

Until I felt no where near satisfied (danged cereal) so I snacked on one of my banana chocolate chip walnut muffins.  So tasty.

Then I headed out to the field to get a survey done and then start hiking! It didn’t seem like that much while we were out there, but when I got home and looked at my tracks we hiked up and over mountains for a total of 6 miles!  Of course I figured that out after I went for a 4 mile run at the new gym. Yeesh.

Anyhow, we were gone for so long and through lunch that I didn’t even realize what time it was before I had lunch at almost 3pm!  I can’t believe I lasted that long, but I think the cold totally took away my appetite. I just had a pb and j banana wrap like yesterday, so nothing exciting.

I got home, raced over to the new gym I signed up for (which I’m sorely disappointed over, even though it has group classes, I hate that I have no tv…really?! Come on now!) and then got home to shower and ready for dinner with Whit!

I raved about those TJ’s Meatless Meatballs and Whit was all over trying them for dinner. I was going to have them for a third night in a row, but remembered I had some chickpeas that needed to be used asap, so I mixed them with some marinara in a Honey Whole Wheat TJ’s Hot Dog Bun and topped with green onions.  Great dinner!  I reminded me of sloppy joes!  Woohoo!  I made Whit’s two subs with sharp cheddar cheese, 4 balls in each, salsa and green onions.  He loved it!

I then realized how hungry I truly was after all that activity today and ate another Banana Walnut Muffin.  Too good to pass up…along with a handful of dark chocolate covered cranberries.  Tasty!

[[Side Notes: Second Puberty?

Ok, crazy concept right?  Seriously, I think someone needs to do a study on this!  Let me explain.

The past year, since I turned 25 and just before, has provided my body with lots of…change.  And not the kind I like, AT ALL.  My favorite jeans no longer fit.  My shirts are getting tight.  I am uncomfortable in everything and disappointed to the max.  I have been telling myself that I’m not exercising enough, eating too much, along with so many other things wrong, but in reality, I don’t necessarily think I am.

I have talked with several friends about this and have come to a conclusion: Women go through a second puberty in their mid to late twenties.  I’ve concluded that our bodies are getting ready to have babies, or that’s what I’m telling myself…instead that I’ve done something wrong.

The concept has been one I had no realized until I saw that well, no wonder none of my clothes fit because I’ve been shopping at the wrong places for this body type.  With my body changing the way it is, I need to fit it properly with clothes that are well, not made to fit teenage girls.

So goodbye American Eagle. Goodbye Hollister.  Goodbye Aeropostale.   And goodbye Abercrombie.  It’s time to move towards places like Banana Republic, the Gap, The Loft, and others that I have yet to find and seek out…(suggestions?)

I was so discouraged last week.  I went to the mall last weekend and must have tried on at least 20 pairs of pants to have absolutely none of them fit.  All sizes I had never tried before.  Maybe this weekend though, with my changing body and store choices, I’ll be able to find something that fits my newly developing body.

Hard to accept.  Hard to anticipate.  Hard to acknowledge…

Are you in your 20’s or 30’s?  Do you think this “2nd puberty” is the case?  Or am I just tripping out and making up excuses? ]]

PS. Did you see my feature on Thick Dumpling Skin!? Check out the next blog Lynn started with Lisa!

Cat Watcher

Today was a pretty good day.  Good and bad moments included, but they all evened themselves out.  The good?  The eats of course.  Like breakfast? The vanilla soy yogurt is so much freak’n better.  I should have added kiwi again, but I forgot.  Instead I went with blueberries, go lean crunch, heart to heart and pb flour.  Gotta pump up that protein…I’m shooting to try coconut derived yogurts next.

Much of the morning was spent in the field.  Can you spot the critter in this picture?  It’s like Where’s Waldo…the joys of camo…

Obviously he’s not neutered…lol.

I had an apple mid morning before being starved by lunch and drowned myself in my PB&J Banana Roll.  Do you see the tortilla?  I found it at TJ’s and oh man, I am in love.  The whole flaxseeds are the best part!  It’s an automatic crunch to the meal!

I snacked on a handful of cashews and a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin on the way home before getting ready for a run with my running buddy in town!  We were supposed to do 9 miles but her legs were feel’n heavy, so we ended up running 5.6, and walking up to 6.2 for our cool down.  It was relaxing for me since she runs slower but the wind was killer. I was wearing some insane layers but the wind was still freezing the side of my body it hit first.  Let just say I came home with yellow fingers and toes from lost circulation.  And purple lips.  Very purple lips.

I did some ST after I got home then got cleaned up, thawed out and got ready for dinner.  I actually had this exact same thing last night because I loved it so much. And good god, how did I avoid TJ’s Meatless Meatballs for so long!?!?!  They are HEAVEN!!!! I want to make a meatball sub so badly now!!!

I cooked a spaghetti squash last night and used half of it, covered with some broccoli, sliced mushrooms, 6 meatballs and marinara.  Heaven of a plate.

Dessert came in the form of muffin with bananas, chocolate chips and walnuts.  And a few dried kiwis.  And tea.  Now I’m ready for bed.  Ok, not quite…

Cause Honey and I are reading your blogs…

But she’s now falling asleep all over my arm and it’s hard to type.  Ouch.

What can I say, we love you guys.  Bloggers rule, right?!

Flashback to High School

[[Side Notes: Flashback to High School: Senior Year

Senior year started and it was the best one ever.  I was surprised in the beginning when I was chosen to be team captain for the cross country team, even though I was one of the slowest. It was an honor for me, that and I got to hang out a lot with the boy’s cross country captains, who were some of my best friends and “the cute boys” on campus.  Yep, it wasn’t the football, soccer or baseball players at my school ladies, it was the distance runners!  Oh yeah! 

Not only did I get to lead a team for the year, but I also surprised everyone when I had to decide between yearbook and calculus as one of my classes for the year.  I’m a math girl through and through (I hate English and actually “failed” two AP exams throughout high school…no shame; it wasn’t my thing at all) but being able to travel and hang out with my friends, along with the experience of putting together everyone high school memory totally won me over.  In the beginning my dad wasn’t too excited about this concept and tried to convince me otherwise, but I was stuck on my decision and found out later that my Dad actually thanked my teachers at the end of the year for providing me with such a unique opportunity.  This was my first real stint at “doing what is best for me,” which I try to live by in every step of my life today.

But even though all those things, accomplishments and the friends I had made, I still had a small part of me wanting to be part of the “popular” crowd.  By senior year I knew many of these people and they I, but we were nothing more than acquaintances.  I felt the peer pressure all those years, that I had to try to be popular, but now I look back and really don’t’ understand why they were even popular in the first place.  It was kinda interesting to get into their heads though…

That year, my school participated in an event that hadn’t gotten too big yet, but would grow to impact so many high schools to follow: Every 15 Minutes.  Basically, the program pretends that a handful of students dies in drunk and driving related crashes and we’re taken out of school for three days, away from all family and friends, to see what really happens behind the scenes, from the trial to walking into the freezers at the mortuary.  It was a super emotional experience, as I had to write a letter to my parents and family, and all my friends were very effected.

(I had a card made out for my death.  I even had a toe tag…)

Truth be told, I was not your typical high school kid, or so I began to find out.  I was naive, thinking no one ever drank, smoked or did pot; I was a goody two shoes according to most.  But when we had to talk about our experiences one night at the hotel, if we had drank or not, what we thought about it, I was floored by the responses.  The “popular” kids all talked about the late nights getting plastered, coming to school hung over and the times that yes, they were buzzed when they drove home.  I had never had a sip of alcohol in my life and was ready and able to wait until I turned 21 to do so (PS I so did…ok, I drank at 20 in Australia but it was legal at that age! haha!).  I was amazed, and really, not wanting to be part of that crowd at all from that point forward.

(As part of the program we were escorted out of a class without notice, a body drawn on the floor outside the classroom and posed as the living dead, not allowed to speak a word or even smile to anyone.  It was really hard.)

I was most touched after the crash simulation (which I was not personally in, but was able to watch) when we had the wake, or funeral, casket and all.  All the “dead” students walked into the gym with candles and listened to two parents talk about losing their children (their kids were participating in the program).  I was crying,all the girls were crying, and even the boys were crying.  I never thought that I would be so emotional over something so, fake.  But it was so real.

(I had to write my own obituary.  It’s like writing a resume or cover letter, but 5,000x harder!)

The instant my friends were released from their seats I was swarmed with tear filled eyes that I never expected.  I knew I had some good friends, but I had people that I barely knew come up to me and say, “I’m so happy you’re not really dead.  You’re such a great person.”  It was the first day that I felt important to people outside of my family.  I had believed that I just faded into the background at my school, when in actuality I wasn’t.  It was eye opening, and astounding.

So for all my readers who are still in high school (or even in college and beyond) that might be dealing with the emotions that come with having an ED (or just in general) that you're not enough or might not matter, YOU DO. 

There is always someone thinking about you, loving you and wishing they could be with you.  You are loved, every second of everyday and are worth it.  You are always worth it. 

Have you ever heard of Every 15 minutes?  Did you partake?  What do you think of it?  ]]

Food Time

All that hooplah for snow this weekend and we got a dusting.  As much as I’m disappointed, I’m not since well, that means no snow on the ground to keep me from work!  Bah!  Otherwise, current dusting that was gone within hours other than on the North facing slopes…no sun exposure!

Sunday was spent indoors and I finally made something different for breakfast: French Toast!  I know that I am trying to stay vegan, but I am trying to use up things in the fridge and well, how do you make French toast without eggs, right? I mixed an egg white with USVAB, cinnamon and vanilla over two pieces of bakery bread.  I sautéed up an apple afterwards with some extra vanilla and cinnamon.  Add in a layer of pb and a tiny bit of raspberry jelly and presto!  Awesome breakfast!

Unfortunately it made me sick…eggs maybe?  They hadn’t gone bad and there have been times before where I’ve gone without eggs for a bit so I’m a bit worried…I had always liked my eggs to help settle my stomach, not upset it!

The rest of Sunday was a blur and nothing worth noting, other than I missed an awesome blogger meetup in LA.  Sadness…next time!  I promise ladies!

This morning I woke up absolutely famished! I was smart enough to soak some mixed breakfast oats the night before with some cinnamon and vanilla and cooked them up, topped with diced apple before adding pb and the remaining apple slices on top. This upset my stomach too…weird?  Oats and Eggs?  Cut them out (not the oats intentionally) and my stomach is pissed?  Thoughts?

I then headed out to the field where I was presented with signs of spring…(see the ORANGE!?  YAY!!!)

And winter…so odd to be right next to each other!  At least spring is making face now!

By the time I returned home I was so hungry I could have eaten my arm.  And legs.  And everything in sight.  I made a leftover’s salad with the following:

• Roasted veggies
• Chickpeas
• Marinara
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Spring Mix/Spinach

And finished with a sweet treat of a Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffin.  Def put me a bit more overboard on the fullness scale than I would have liked.  But I needed chocolate.

Whit was coming back from up north so before leaving to see him and get some shopping done, I snacked on an orange, cashews and chocolate chips you can’t see…hehe.

I had the intention of finding a pair of jeans that I don’t’ have to use in the field, since all I have are field jeans, but no such luck, and I seriously tried on at least 20 pairs.  So frustrating, and the emotions didn’t hold over well either.  I was lucky enough to be texting Mara for some moral support.  It also helps to have a supportive boyfriend waiting for you after it all.  I did end up coming home with a bathing suit though…it looks like this, and totally NOT a bikini.  I felt so much more confident wearing this one!  The pants will have to wait..because I absolutely hate them.

By the time I got to Whit he was hungry and ready for dinner, so we headed out to Mimi’s where I got a veggie pesto sandwich with a side of fruit.  I ate all the fruit and half the sandwich.  Nothing to rave over, since it was drenched in butter and I forgot to ask them to omit it.  Boo.

I returned home a bit early since my poor boy was sick with a raging headache, enough to debilitate him and send him straight to bed…I’m sure I’ll see him this week sometime though.

I snacked on a few lots of dried kiwi slices and a few more cashews before getting ready to hit the hay before work tomorrow and a sweet tempo run I’ve got planned!  Yay!

I’ll have my HS Senior Year post up tomorrow! It was too late to get it up tonight!!!

Flashback to High School

[[Side Notes: Flashback to High School

As part of NEDA week this week, I’m going to do some entries on my experiences in high school. 

I know that high school can be a very hard time for many girls and boys, as they are in the height of puberty, adjusting to academia and making new friends. I want to remind you that I did not have an eating disorder at this time, but signs of it were present and the main thing I want to discuss is the time it takes to adjust, show how things will pan out, and that high school can be one of the best experiences around!  Everyone talks about college being the best four years of your life, but I think my senior year of high school rolls over every year of school I’ve had, no questions asked!

~~

I went through several phases during high school.  Some were good and some were bad…but all in all, a good time.  Each year was unique in it’s own right, and stands out in how hard it is to grow up, become a woman and see the potential the world has.

I started my freshman year as a terrified 9th grader.  Not only was it high school and I was with three years worth of older kids, but I was also not attending the school I was supposed to go to, so I had very few friends (my parents, god bless them, got me an inter-district transfer because this school was deemed better = less gangs and higher test scores) and was not happy about it.  Most of my friends, including my best friend since kindergarten was not going to school with me and I didn’t know what was going to happen.  Add in I had just started to go through puberty…so you can imagine the horror that erupted in my brain.

(This is actually from 8th grade, but I looked the same into 9th, minus the glasses, thank goodness…)

Although I did not have an eating disorder at the time, and truthfully had no idea what one was, there are signs of it’s lingering existence.  Puberty was a huge hit for me, “You want me to become a woman?  What the hell are you trip’n on?  I sure as hell do not want to give up my “girls slim fit” jeans for…hips and boobs?! Say what?!”  It was not an easy transition for me to say the least, and therein began the first phase of HS: Shame. I remember distinctly hating what was happening to my body.  it was like it had betrayed me by growing up faster than I was ready and could adjust.

(Oh man…I never liked this photo…but alas…Freshman HS Yearbook Picture)

In came the clothing style change from my slim fit jeans and tops to the baggiest things I could get my parents to buy.  Most of the time it consisted of baggy-ish jeans, t-shirts and Hawaiian shirts to cover the t-shirt.  Yes, Hawaiian shirts…  I can only imagine what people thought when they looked at me, and at the same time I thought my puka shell necklaces were oh so cool.  The funny part was underneath it all, I was most disgusted with having boobs.  No joke.  To say I didn’t like them would be an understatement: I thought they were revolting.  I wore the tightest sports bras I could find to keep myself as flat as possible, and was prone to excessive slouching to keep them from showing.  In  reality I had very little to even make having boobs my center of attention ,but non the less…it was hard times.  And add getting braces and acne to the picture, I was a raging teenager of a mess!

By the time I got to my sophomore year things were much better, as I had made many friends and now had a core groups of people to hang out with.  I had also joined the school’s cross country team, which made dealing with things a bit easier, as I had gained weight my freshman year since PE was a joke and most of the time we sat underneath a tree in the shade!  I was excelling in my honors and AP classes and having a great time.  Don’t let me steer you wrong though, as being a girl was still a big issue for me.  I dressed like a tomboy and never presented an ounce of girliness to my lifestyle.  I was in part, pretty ashamed to be a girl. I simply didn’t like the pressure and attention it brought with it.  This picture of me going to Winter Formal that year was a push…it was the one time I really felt like a girl.  The one time that year.

(Sophomore Year, Winter Formal)

Junior year was much of the same with my cross country and track team taking priority in school.  I had trained had all summer, dedicated myself like I had nothing before and finally started to see improvements (I was one of the slowest and older girls on the team at the time, as many girls the two grades below me were state ranked; talk about a blow to my running ego).  Unfortunately due to my clumsy self, all that dedication was killed off when I broke the middle toe on my left foot and was sentenced to two weeks on crutches and then almost two months wearing a hard shoe.  Not the greatest thing for a runner.

(Junior Year Prom)

My running career shot out the door and I was devastated.  I cried at the ER, thinking back to the first and my only race of the season where I smashed my old 3 mile personal record by minutes, settling at 23:08 (yeah, can you believe I used to run an average 7.30-7.45 mile?  Now I’m lucky if I get under 8 min for one mile!…but I also don’t run 50-60 miles a week like I did back then…).  But I gained something out of it all: a greater, stronger bond with my couch and teammates.  This is where the second stage of high school started: courage and strength.  I may have been deemed the team “gimp’ and couldn’t run a race, but I never missed a practice, meeting or race.  I was up at the crack of dawn on the weekends with everyone and was the informant, as I always knew the schedule and who was running what or where.  I took every split for every mile and became my coaches right hand woman.  I started to become a leader that the varsity girls the grades below me looked up to and best friends with the lead boys for years to come.

I came back from that injury with vigor and was ready to start track season with a band, training hard to gain back my endurance.  But disaster struck again when I caught strep throat early in the season, go figure right?  I spent time out of school and running and missed most of the season, but still tried to participate where I could.  On the other hand, it gave me extra time to concentrate on a love I never thought I had: Art History. Not wanting to take your typical drawing class I settled into AP Art History for the year and loved it.  I may have had a textbook that weighed 12 lbs but I didn’t care because I loved it, which reflected on my AP score in the spring when I got a 5 along with the rest of my classmates as we scored the highest cumulative score for an AP class that year.  It was an awesome experience and one I hoped I could pursue on the side in the future after high school and in college.

After the disaster which was my junior year, senior year started it was the best one ever…but we’ll leave that for tomorrow night.

Do you remember much of high school?  Did you struggle at all with making friends or trying to fit in? ]]