Warrior Dash

Warrior Dash

Audrey, Mary, Me After the Race

Last Saturday I participated in my first ever 5k of any kind. It just so happened to be a grueling, tougher than hell 5k that is Warrior Dash. Now I didn’t go into this event lightly. A year ago a friend of mine had been talking about doing Warrior for months. She was trying to talk anyone and everyone around her into doing this insanity with her. At first she had informed me that this event would take place in Indiana, a grand total of 5hrs away from our home just outside Chicago. 

I told her HELL NO. LOL I wasn’t going to drive 5 hours just to kill myself I told her. That was September.

By October Audrey and I had started walking 3 miles 3 days a week to slowly work ourselves into working out again. She was convinced she’d be able to get me to go to Indiana for this race, while I was just happy to be off the couch and moving again. 

In November I was talking to some of my Twitter friends, I found out another friend was also going to participate, but she was going to the Illinois location. o_O I didn’t even know there was one in IL, none the less 30 minutes from my house! So I debated in telling Audrey or not, because once she found out, I knew it would be over from there. LOL

Long story short, I confessed the info and we signed up for June. 

Through the looonnnggg coooolllddd (it was actually pretty mild for Chicago) winter we continued our walks until we started “running” toward the end of February. I’ve never been a runner in my life so there was lots of fighting and whining on my part. But Audrey kept my ass moving and told me to quit my bitching. Which is exactly what I had needed! 

After a long spring of hard training and endless workouts… June came. And with it, The Warrior Dash.

Was I ready? I didn’t think so. Was I scared? Fucking terrified!

But Audrey kept me positive and kept me moving. And then race day came.

After a very confusing morning of finding the location, having to go find an ATM for parking money ($20 for parking on farm?!!?) and then finally parking and getting our packet, I was already stressed out.

The race was to start in 5 minutes and I had to pee! So Audrey and I were running toward the “potties” when all of a sudden I hear someone yelling my name! 

I turn and almost run right into Mary! My friend from Twitter! There was quick hug and hello and then I ran toward the bathroom! Yeah, I was awkward, as usual. LOL (I’m bad at meeting new people!)

And then it was race time. 

Warrior is described as 3.19 Hellish Miles on their website. Yeah. And they were right. From the get go, the terrain was tough and hard going. Knee high grass that had yet to be packed down, uneven footing and hundreds of people running around you. 

I took it slow, kept my breathing even, and concentrated on my footing and stride. The last thing I wanted was to fall and twist my ankle or something. I’m a concrete runner; there wasn’t much practice in a field.

After the first mile I was breathing pretty hard, but we had reached the first obstacle. So I able to catch my breath and concentrate on not falling off the tight rope as that hung over this gully. After not falling and reaching the other side, it was back to running again.

The race went on this way going through all 14 obstacles. I finished just over an hour later, dead on my feet, soaking wet, and had mud in places I never want mud in again! But I had a blast!! So much fun!

After the race I met up with Mary again and we took pictures and quickly posted them on Twitter to show the girls! Audrey and I headed out to get water and change our clothes. 

You ever try changing wet undies in the backseat of Ford Taurus with people walking by both sides of the car? You can imagine my struggle after the grueling race! 

Once changed we headed back into the festival to search for more water and shade. Once securely under a shady tent with water in hand, I called Mary and told her our location. 

This is where the day went from FUCKING AWESOME to horrible in a blink of an eye. Mary showed up with the Suspects and everyone was joking and laughing and having a great time. Meanwhile, this headache slowly creeps in behind my right eye. 

I think nothing of it. Keep chatting with Mary and friends while drinking water and eating granola to ward off dehydration. Audrey’s mom get’s me a couple aspirin while her dad keeps buying us water.  I try not to think of my headache as it quickly turns into a full blown migraine.

And then it happened. Migraine was in full force. The nausea set in and I was done for. I apologized to Mary for not being too talkative, and tried to just concentrate on my breathing to help the nausea pass. 

It didn’t work. A quick look to Audrey and I was running for the forest some 100 feet behind where we were sitting. After losing granola, a nutrigrain bar, and 3 bottles of water, I was a hot shaking mess. Medical had found us (Audrey followed) near the woods and though I denied their many attempts, finally brought me over to the medical tent via a golf cart thingy. 

Yeah, I was kinda embarrassed. But honestly felt better after losing everything in my stomach. Medical set me up on a bench in front of a fan that was blowing cold mist at me. That helped me cool down QUICK. After a few minutes I was shivering wanting back into the heat. 

Audrey grabbed more water for me and we headed back toward the group under the shade tent. I felt better and wanted to hang out with Mary for a little while longer, and was under STRICT orders from Audrey that I was not allowed to go home until I peed. Classic dehydration sign. Not peeing. 

So we hung out for an hour or so? I don’t even remember too much of it anymore, before I apologized to Mary and told her I had to take off. It was just too damn hot out there! 

Overall the RACE was the coolest frickin thing I’ve done in a long time! Dehydration and the migraine that came with it were my downfall though. Would I do Warrior Dash next year? HELL FUCKING YES! And I got to meet a Tweep!!

I’d just do a couple things different next time! Like Hydrate the second I wake up and not drink coffee no matter how much I “think” I need it! And make sure to really read the website for parking fee’s and carry cash!!

Great time! Can’t wait for next year!!

Engaged!

So after five and half years, my boyfriend popped the question I wasn't sure I'd ever hear. Wait, let me rephrase that, he DEMANDED, not asked me the question. LOL Yes. Ben doesn't really ask for anything. He just tells me. Whether or not I say NO is another story.

So five and half years ago I was 19 years old and had just moved back into my Dad's house after living in an apartment in downtown Chicago and going to Columbia College Chicago. College was fun, the city amazing, but the school's program was just not for me, and HELLA expensive. So I moved back home and went back to my high school job, working at the local K-Mart. And that's where it ALL changed.

Retail always has a high turnover ratio on employees, because really, besides high school kids, who the hell wants to work retail? I know I didn't, but I was also DEAD broke and needed to do something, ANYTHING. So back to hell I went.

And that's where I found him. Yes, I found HIM. He was clueless. Lost in his own world, still hurting over a cheating ex that had left him badly scarred.

Yeah, he still smoked cigarettes back then. I still smoked back then. And that's where I knew I had my in. I started going out on smoke breaks around the same time as him, and there were really only so many places we were allowed to go smoke, so he had no other option but to sit and talk to me. LOL I mean, he could have gone to his car, but really, I was the better option.

But like I said, the man is clueless. I probably "followed" him around K-mart for months. Nothing too obvious. My really good friend Brian was still working there at the time, and Ben and Brian were usually the "go-to" guys for carry outs, fixing things, and basically anything we needed a man for. So I called on the two of them a lot to do carry outs on furniture.

Any time I had a few seconds downtime, which is a lot at night during the week, I'd find myself over talking to Brian... and guess who was usually with him? Yeah, you guessed it. Ben was usually in the middle of  a project with Brian and I was always interrupting. Retail is BORING, okay?! And if you had THAT (points up) walking around, you'd be interrupting TOO!

Okay, so after maybe 2 months of "following" him around K-mart, I gave up. I'm not the type of girl to "throw" herself at a guy, and I had thought that's what I'd been doing for the last two months. (Not really, but I'd be obvious enough). I'm also not a girl to make the first move and ask a guy out. Yeah, I'm a chicken shit.

So I said FUCK IT. If he's not interested, that's HIS fault, not mine.

2 Weeks later, guess who walked in on a Saturday when he wasn't scheduled? A day I had been sweating my ass AND make up off, where I looked absolutely completely and utterly like ASS!? Yeah, that's when he decides too man up and get off his ass and ask me out.

Now 5 & 1/2 years later, he choose the worst timing AGAIN to ask another important question.

On Saturday morning 5/12, when I first woke up, Ben holds me and says, "You make me so happy. Marry me."  (Cue the Squee!!)

But I had just woke up, my hair was sticking up ALL over the place. I was hot and sweating because he shut my FRICKIN fan off. I was all pissy from the cat fucking with my sleep and being hot, that it REALLY took a few minutes for it to register what he said. I was like, "Whhhaaaa?"

He just grinned and said it again. "Marry me." No asking. Just demanding that I marry him.

Of course I said yes, but after I did, I looked at him and was like, "There's no ring."

LMAO! He had been so flustered about asking me, he left the ring hidden in the closet!! He had to stop everything to find the ring before he could put it on my finger!! LOL Poor guy!

But here it is!

I actually picked it out. Like I said, he's clueless. So back in February, we had bought it. He had kept it hidden from me for MONTHS! I knew the engagement was coming. We'd always talked about it. And then once we bought it, I was dying for it.

But he waited so frickin long I had forgotten ALL about it! I seriously wondered if he was ever gonna ask me and if he'd maybe changed his mind! But no, he just dragged his feet AS USUAL! :-)

Here's another view.

The ring is REALLY hard to photograph. I seriously took about 50 shots just to get these 3 "good" shots. But my favorite part of the ring is this little heart detail on both sides. Inside the heart, there is another diamond!!

So yeah, we're finally engaged! One of my uncle's even said, "I thought they've been engaged." Yeah, haha JERKS.

We spent mother's day showing off the goods and answering millions of questions! All too be expected though! And it was a really good time! So now I've got a wedding to plan in the next year and half. I'm thinking late summer/early fall next year!! Can't wait!!

Politically Correct

So there has been some drama going on at work lately. Recently our manager brought us all together for a quick, short three minute meeting to basically yell at us to not post cartoons or anything on the work bulletin board. Okay, fine. Whatever.

But I guess while I was away on vacation, one of my friends brought in a political cartoon of Obama. I never saw the cartoon, don't know what was on it exactly, but from what I hear is, the cartoon had Obama addressing a preschool class and saying something like: "okay 50% of the class was napping, why don't we have the napper's do some work now." Remember, I never saw this cartoon and have only heard what people have said.

Okay, so S brings in this cartoon to show our friend T. They have a laugh about it and S says she wants to leave it on our Floor Manager's desk because she could appreciate the humor. T laughs and says, "Nooo... put it on the bulletin board so when K comes up from downstairs, she see's it."

So both woman laugh again, because K is a 32 old woman that ALWAYS sleeps at her desk. On the clock, will sit straight up like she's working, close her eyes and sleep. She's been busted who knows how many times by everyone in the department. So S and T think the cartoon is hilarious because its poking fun at K. Honestly, I would have laughed too because this woman does always sleep, but she'll be the first person to tattle tale on you and throw you under the bus. No one, not one single person has ever turned her in for sleeping because we're not tattle tales.

Okay, that being said. You need to understand that K is black. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have any issues with black people. I DO have issues with lazy people in general though. And to me, K is lazy because she sleeps on the job. But K is a person that always feels that because she is black, people don't like her. When really people know her personality and how fake and back stabbing she is. THAT is why people don't like her. I've had her rat me out INSTANTLY because I took the wrong tray of mail. So, she doesn't seem to understand that people just don't like HER.

But the problem now is, K has gone to HR to report this. From what I'm told, because I was in my own little world today and didn't see anything, today people were brought into HR individually for a "Fact Finding Meeting". Now mind you, this is something that occurred on March 23rd. Today is April 2nd. Why is this being addressed over a week later?

So T calls me after work today to tell me everything I had missed while I was in my own little world today. Apparently K is trying to make this cartoon out to being offensive and racial. This is the part that really makes me mad. Racial? I mean REALLY?! It has NOTHING to do with race. Yes Obama is black. Who cares? The cartoon was only talking about the nappers, my friends were only interested in the napping because its FUNNY. K sleeps at her desk every. single. day. Of course we're all gonna laugh at that cartoon. Because it fits our situation and brightens our day a little.

But for this bitch to bring it around to racism? And taking it as far as HR to try and get people in trouble with their jobs? Am I being over dramatic here? Do I just not see her reasoning? I honestly feel like she just trying to get these two in trouble because she doesn't like them. I really don't see how it can be offensive. I guess if you don't like it, don't fucking sleep on the job!


Sorry...I ranted a little.

First Class

So last night was my first class and the night started off as to be expected. I was a nervous wreck and couldn’t find anything. Every time I turned around to look for something Ben was under foot and I was constantly running into him. That drives me BEYOND nuts, so I start to get cranky and snippy. But he finally helps me find everything and I get out the door. Had to make 4 stupid boys (brother’s friends) move their cars out of the driveway so I could get out. (long driveway). And then I sat in rush hour traffic for a half hour on the way to campus.

I get to the school a half hour early and sit back in my car, content to read and chat on twitter. At 6:08 I head inside (class starts at 6:30) to try and find the room before hand. Well as I’m walking around, I realize none of the classroom numbers go up to 207. Ummm yeaaaah, nooo. There was no such number. So I go ask at the front desk and find out I’m at the wrong campus! The “correct” Naperville campus is located 5 miles away in the middle of rush hour, and a place I’ve never been before or knew existed. I could have sworn I was at the right place.

So with the address plugged in my GPS on my phone, I head back to the car and check the time: 6:19. I officially have 11 minutes to get five miles. Sounds totally possible and usually would be if it wasn’t rush hour in Naperville. (Largest suburb of Chicago, tons of yuppies who can’t drive). But thanks to the nice lady I was able to take a back way with very little traffic and raced against the clock to get to class on time.

I finally roll into class at 6:29 and sit down. 6:30 on the dot, the teacher stands up and I will not stop smiling for the next 3 hours. Yes. My teacher, Dr. William Dezoma was wearing an 1890’s 3 piece suit, complete with pocket watch on a chain and the handle-bar mustache that he would frequently twist around his fingers. There were even suspenders underneath the vest. It was EPIC and I enjoyed it very much!

Suit:

Mustache:

He has a doctorate in literature and is one of the world’s top experts in Pirate Literature. Yes. Pirate Literature. There was an intense lengthy discussion on Pirates of the Caribbean to follow. I hope next week I can get a picture of him!

I can’t even express thoroughly how much this man had me hooked as soon as he started speaking. He was such a character that you couldn’t make this shit up if you tried. He was bouncing around the room, very animatedly, standing on desks and jumping off. He captured my attention and held it for 3 hours straight.

His views on analyzing stories go far beyond the page and into our daily lives. Everyone you meet is their own fictional character with their own story. But not only do they have their own story, their stories have stories. What he was saying, was the story is always changing and evolving, it just depends on how you analyze it. The class is 80% discussion and 20% papers, midterms, finals.

Long story short, I had a blast at my first class and I’m really looking forward to going back. I’m really happy I decided to go back to school!

Homework for next week:

Read 2 short stories:

Sony's Blues By James Baldwin

Young Goodman Brown By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Back to School

“Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Oh! Back to school... back to school... back to school. Well, here goes nothing.” ~Billy Madison

Tomorrow is my first day going back to school. To say I’m nervous is an understatement. I get all sorts of twisted around when I think of sitting in a class room full of people I don’t know and possibly having to introduce myself and talk about me. I can write about me no problem. Talk to a group of unknowns? EEK! But I’m determined to finish school this time with my degree. After trying for a couple years now to get a basic associates degree, I’m kicking my ass into gear and WILL finish this time.

My little brother just graduated Auto School. So if he can graduate college, I know I can! Or that’s what I’m telling myself anyways. This time around it should be easier. Last time around I was working full time, going to school full time, and trying to make rent and have a social life. The boyfriend and I had just moved in together and were living almost 45 minutes away from school. Things were going pretty good, I was making it work though I was stressed, it wasn’t too bad.

Then I lost my job. I was working for Chrysler Financial at their Business Vehicle Financing office, making decent money for a 20yr old. After about a year and half there, we got word that the car market was crashing and Chrysler was being forced to close 12 offices around the country. Yeah, mine was definitely one that got the axe! So no job meant I was freakin out about school which eventually led to me not going to class.

Long story short, I’ve got a really good job right now, me and Ben are currently living with my father, Ben is in school himself, so there really is nothing holding me back this time around! So I am DETERMINED to finish! And I’ll work on my bachelor’s degree as it gets closer to that time! Goals are good!

So wish me luck tomorrow! I’m praying it all goes okay!

Small World

So I was sitting here thinking about maybe starting a blog, when it occurred to me that I already had one. "Raven Hill" was made years ago and I clearly did nothing with it. Probably because it was made while I was in high school and I already had another one going at the time. So it got put away and nothing happened with it.

Then tonight I decided I might give it a try again. But the more I thought about what I'd name it or what I'd even want to talk about, it dawned on me that I had created yet ANOTHER blog for posting stories or random writings that I'd done over the years. For the life of me, I could not find this. So I googled "theysayitscrazy" and HOLY SHIT did I find myself on the internet ALOT. Long story short, I found the old blog that I posted random chapters and stories too, but can't remember the e-mail or login for this blog.

Here's the link. http://theysayitscrazy.blogspot.com/

The stories/chapters were written when I was 16/17, almost 10 years ago now. But that blog will never be updated again. I would have probably continued with it, had I remembered the login.

Oh well, it's a small world after all and it turns out I have 3 blogs out there...eeeekk!