Whhhatt??!!

Have I really not posted since Monday?! I knew that it had been a couple of days, but geez. I'm so sorry that I have been such a slacker.

I am still resting my knee because I don't want to mess it up even more by running on it too soon, so I'm gonna wait until its 100%. Me (being the stupid, stubborn girl that I am) decided that it would be a good idea to run 3 miles on Tuesday and on Wednesday at work, I was almost in tears by how bad my knee hurt. I have been icing it, wrapping it, resting it, giving it some good ol TLC. I just hope it gets better soon!!

Honestly, I have nothing really of interest to post...which is why I guess I have been avoiding it. But here are a couple of key points that have happened over the course of the week:

• Mike came back in the picture...sort of...in the form of some weird and confusing texts.
  
• Lucas went out of the picture...mainly because of the above mentioned...and because he is staying at school for the summer to play ball and attend summer school.
  
• I got a call for a phone interview tomorrow from a really awesome school in Charlotte, NC!! Im going to be brushing up on my interview questions all day today.
• I played pool last night, totally killed the first game...then got slaughter for the next two.
• Got tatted up

haha. just kidding, its fake. I got WAY to bored yesterday. But my sister pointed out that that would be a cool place for a tattoo, and I think I agree. I have always wanted to get a tattoo of an OWL (because that is the symbol of education) and possibly the words "carpe noctem" (thanks for the heads up Mica, yes thats what a meant...typo! haha) which is Latin for seize the night. I liked the phrase "carpe diem" but thought that was too cliche...and night goes with owls, so its perfect!

• Of course I made some wraps:

My mom bought me some groceries, so I got the good expensive kind of pickles, that I would never buy on my own :)

Since I really have nothing else to post and I just did the 25 things about myself...I thought it would be fun to do an "interview" type post next, but with different questions from you guys. A "FAQ" post, if you will. Hey, everyone else has done it...ITS MY TURN! So ask me anything! You can e-mail me or leave me a comment with your question if you would like. Whatever floats ya boat.

Time for breakfast and another cup-o-crack...errr...I mean coffee.

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Birthday Celebration and 25 Things

Last night was my friend Justin's birthday, so of course we had to celebrate. Here is a pic re-cap.

For some reason Justin just HAD to have everyone do a thumbs up...cheesy?! I think so.

Wait...thats not right...

There we gooo

I love taking random laughter shots

Sarah even brought her dog to help us celebrate

Dinner last night before the bar:

Veggies Burger on Arnold's Sandwich Thins and Steamed Veggies

So the wonderful Emily tagged me to tell 25 random things about myself. This could be the point were my "inner weirdo" is revealed, so try not to judge too hard.

1. I am a morning person FOR SURE, my favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning, sipping coffee and Internet surfing in my flannel pj's.
2. I only buy movies that I absolutely love, I currently only own about 6 movies.
3. My first crush was David Bowie.
4. Sometimes when I am driving I like to sing really loud and pretend that I am a rockstar.
5. I went through a "punk rock" stage in highschool and dyed my hair black and had 1/2 inch gages in my ears.
6. My child hood is defined by Nickelodeon game shows. Name a show, I'll tell you the host...and probably be able to quote an episode or two.
   
7. Charleston is my favorite place in the world, it has been my life goal to one day move there.
8. I HATE oreos just plain, but they are my favorite topping for icecream. :)
9. I still have not fully gotten into the "high heels" thing, although I should because I am only 5'4".
10. I am more of a dog person than a cat person.
11. I am currently terrified of this "swine flu" epidemic. WTF?!!
12. I LOVE grocery shopping. I go up and down every isle, even if I dont need anything in that particular isle.
    
13. Guys confuse the HELL out of me and I'm not sure if I will ever figure them out.
14. My middle name is Dru...I wish it was my first name.
15. Ok, Baylee here is my OCD habit...I can only get out of bed when the clock reads an even number. I feel like if I start my day out at an "odd" time, it will be an "odd" day. haha
16. My favorite thing about myself is my dimples, even though when I was little I HATED them and would sit in front of the mirror for hours puffing out my checks in an attempt to "blow them out".
17. I love pictures...taking pictures, looking at pictures, etc.
18. I DO NOT want to grow up, and refuse to.
19. I think conditioner is WAY better than shampoo (Billy Madison anyone?!)
20. I have a crush on our local weather man.
21. My favorite color is purple.
22. If I could travel to any place earth it would be Australia or Japan.
23. My least favorite part of the day is when I have to blow dry my hair. It is pure torture, and I try to avoid it any way possible.
24. I have a round tooth. I could have gotten it fixed, but I think it shows character.
25. In the summer time my face gets COVERED in freckles, and you know what?! I like them!

WOW. That was hard. Someone else give it a try! I tag:

Mica

Katie

Kristi

Amy and

Emily

Now, Im off to do some grocery shopping...maybe I'll see my club hoppin produce boy ;)...and then working all day.

Hope everyone is having a great start to the week.

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Meeting the New Man...

Thats right, I met a new man in my life yesterday, and he is one handsome man at that!

One of my very best friends in the whole world just had this HUGE bundle of joy yesterday and I could not be happier for her. I freaked out when I got her message that her water had broken yesterday morning at 6 A.M...he was almost 2 weeks early! But everything went great and mom and baby are doing wonderfully. Pretty much my whole day yesterday was spent hangin' with the new man. I just couldn't get enough.

The proud Daddy

And the beautiful Mommy.

I just could not be happier for her and I know that her and Chris will make awesome parents. I can not wait to see what the future holds for them! Happy Birthday Lincoln Maddox!!!

So like I said before, most of my day was spent in the hospital. I stayed there until right before work at 5. I did run home to make some lunch before work though.

You guessed it...a WRAP!

I didn't get in a workout because of all the excitement today, but thats OK because my knees are still hurting a little. I think I may ice them up again and rest one more day. Any advice or tips on helping my poor knees?!

Today I am up bright and early. Why? I have no idea, but there has to be SOME reason that I wanted to get up and start the day this early. So, lets see what the day brings!! My horoscope is telling me that today I will have a brilliant idea. hmmm.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday.

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Another Be-a-u-tiful Day

I did it again! Another spelling lesson for everyone, that is how I have to say "beautiful" when I am trying to spell it. I think I must have slept through English in elementary school, not quite sure.

However, as the title suggests, it is another FREAKIN' GORGEUOUS day today. I may just have to break out the shorts.....or umm maybe get tan first THEN break out the shorts...yeah that sounds like a better idea.

Although today pretty, its already promising to be pretty darn hectic again as well. I HAVE to go to the hospital to see Jenie's new baby. I woke up this morning and had a text from her saying that he was born around midnight last night, and I could not be more excited to welcome the new little man into the world!

I have been trying to take it a little easy on the running this week, because my knees have been hurting a little. Nothing too bad, but I def. don't want to push it. I have been icing them and going on short runs, or just working out on the eliptical. But I do have exciting running news! On May 30th (when we are due to go to the beach in Charleston) I signed up for a 5K right on the beach! I was searching for a race that I could do while I was down there and that is the only thing going on the week. I have never ran a 5K, and honestly I'm kind of intimidated. Sure, I can run at a steady pace for a long distance, but at a fast pace in a short distance?! Im not sure. But, if nothing else, it should be really fun. Its right on the beach and it is in the evening. I also have something else exciting planned during my beach trip...but I'm gonna keep it a SURPRISE! haha.

This morning for breakfast I had some Honey Greek yogurt, with half a banana, some strawberries, and some All Bran Flakes mixed in...oh yeah and a few raisins, too.

This was nice and refreshing for the warm weather that we have been having. Did I mention that I am LOVING the sunshine?!!?

For lunch, I decided to mix it up a bit and NOT have a wrap. Instead I made a sandwich...I know, I know...big stretch right?!

Close-Up/Break-Down:

• Whole Wheat Bread
• Red Pepper Hummus
• Deli Sliced Turkey
• Spinach
• Cucumber
• Spicy Mustard

Now its time for a quick 3-mile run (outside, of course) a shower, and work. Busy, Busy Day! I do have some pretty big updates in the personal life area of Em. But, I think that will have to wait for when I have more time ;)

Hope everyone is enjoying their Saturdays and soaking up the sun!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Crazy Night/Day

So sorry that have missed my regular blogging! I have been in such a panic because I totally pulled a "clumsy Emily" move and dropped my cell phone in the toilet last night. Now, I do know a trick to fixing phones that have gotten wet, that has worked for me every single time. All you do is take a bag of instant rice and put your phone and the battery in there over night. The rice will soak up all of the moisture and it will be fine by the morning. This has worked for me every other time, except for today. Last night, I put it in rice...this morning I woke up and it was worse than ever! Now, I dont know about you guys, but I feel totally lost without my phone. I mean, I dont even have a landline, so when I don't have my cell phone I have NO form of communication. So long story short I have been in a mad dash around the town trying to get a new phone for the least possible amount of money. It took a couple of different places and a flash of the dimples, and now I have a new Blackberry Curve! I like it even better than my old phone, so I guess things turned out for the better after all!

Now I just feel like my whole day is "off", and to add to the craziness, as soon as I got my new phone I got a text from my friend Jenie who had the baby shower, saying that her water broke this morning! What a hectic, crazy day this has been! But, thats what makes life fun and interesting, right?! But I just wanted to fill you guys in on the drama that is my life. haha. I will get caught back up tomorrow, hopefully.

For now, it is a lovely 86 degrees with not one cloud in the sky so I'm gonna enjoy the day outside. Maybe find a pool to jump into.

Hope everyone is having a great day! Its FRIDAY! Anyone have big plans?!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Wed-Nezzz-Day

Good Morning Loves! FINALLY its Wednesday right?! Does anyone else feel like this week has gone by ULTRA slow?! When I was little (as in last year) I could never remember how to spell Wednesday, so now everytime I write it I say to myself "wed" "nezz" "day", because that's how its spelled! haha. Hey, whatever works right? It the same with the word "beautiful"...that's a hard one too.

Anyway, no news yet on the job thing. But, I'm thinking its still too early. Most of the schools said they would call within a couple of weeks, and my Aunt said that sometimes she doesn't get calls until a couple of weeks before schools starts. But I am still hot on the job trial. I have been putting in applications ALL OVER!

More exciting news...I have a beach trip planned! OH YES! We are going to Charleston (my favorite place ever) from May 31st until June 6th. Only 39 more days...let the countdown begin!

Yesterday I got in a really good run. I decided to just start running and let my body tell me how far it wanted to go, I ended up doing 6 miles so I was happy with that.

Can I just tell you guys how much running has really helped me with my food issues?! It has been so good for me, because I am looking at food in a whole other way. During my ED I would look at food as something to be "scared" of or something that would make me gain weight...etc, etc. But now I look at food as something that fuels me for runs and makes my body stronger. I look at it as something that is working with me to make me a better running, not working against me. This is totally a new revelation and a HUGE step in my recovery. I have been so happy with what running as done for me. Because I want to be a better runner, I want my body to be stronger.

Still on the subject of running...how awesome is it that my roommate's new boyfriend is a rep for athletes, especially runners...and he just so happens to be a rep for Ryan Hall, the 3rd place finishers of the Boston Marathon! Maybe I could meet him! haha.

Speaking of food...I used the last of my Flat-Out Wraps yesterday! Time for a Wal-Mart trip today, I suppose.

This HAS to be my favorite lunch:

• Italian Herb Flat-Out
• Spicy Mustard
• Turkey
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Salsa
• Side of Soy Crisps

I had dinner over at the parents house last night because it had been a while since I visited. My mom made crab cakes and salad. Why is food always so much better when your mom makes it?!

This morning I fixed up the usual fruity oats.

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
• Chopped Strawberries
• Blueberries
• 1/2 Banana
• Cinnamon

Today plans are either running or cross training or maybe yoga...I haven't quite decided yet. But it looks like it may be a pretty day, so I will probably have to take advantage of that. Thankfully there are only a few days left of this rainy month. Then of course tonight is pool night.

Hope everyone is having a great Mid-week! Lots of Love

<3 Ems.

Back to Blogs!

Man! Not having the Internet all weekend is rough! Especially when I want to read all of your awesome blogs! Lets just say that last night and this morning was def. spent catching up with everyone that I missed sooo much. I also want to thank everyone for wishing me good luck this weekend, it really means a lot.

So I left big JC on Friday afternoon and set off on the 5 hour drive to Nashville. I didn't really mind the drive there though, because it was SO pretty the whole way and I had my IPOD jammin' on shuffle. I snapped a couple of pics just so I could show you how gorgeous it was.

Not a cloud in the sky!

On the way there I saw a whole row of these old time-y bugs traveling together. I thought that it was pretty amusing seeing them all together in a little group. So I snapped a pic of that too.

I made pretty good time because of the weather and arrived in Nashville to meet my Aunt around 6. I don't know how many people heard about this, but there was a HUGE tornado in Nashville last week (which is pretty rare for Tennessee). Anyway, it hit about a mile from my aunt's house. I have never been in a tornado and I sure have not seen anything like the devastation from the aftermath! My aunt took me around to show me where it hit. I have never seen anything like it! It made me really sad about all the people that lost their homes and businesses. My Aunt told me that the volunteers have been great with helping out all week though, and there were still tents and things providing water and food.

I was shocked by all the damage that the tornado did, like I said I am just not used to that kind of thing at all. I don't think we have ever had a tornado, or at least a bad one, in East Tennessee.

Moving on...Saturday morning was the job fair. My Aunt and I arrived there early and ready to go. There were sooo many people there. It was kind of overwhelming and discouraging to see all of these people trying to get the same job as me. What would make me stand out from the rest?! But, I handed out my resume to a bunch of different schools and talked to a lot of principals and assisstant principals. So now all thats left to do is just cross my fingers and hope that the phone rings soon. I'm desperate for a teaching job right now!!!

I also LOVE the Nashville area. It is so nice and there is so much to do. Also, running is a HUGE deal there, so there are plenty of places to run and TONS of running groups to join. My Aunt told me that there is even one especially for teachers who run! Oh how I would love to move there.

After the stress of the job fair, my Aunt and I had a "girls" day to de-stress. We went to the hair salon, TWO different malls, to the movies to see Seventeen Again (umm when did Zac Efron get so freakin' hot?!), then out to dinner, and more shopping. Yep, by the time we got we were drained. But it was great spending time with my Aunt in an AWESOME city. Did I mention that I LOVE it there?!

Unfortunately, the drive back to JC on Sunday did not go as well as the drive there. It was pouring the rain the whole time! At one point it was raining so hard that I could not even see in front of me. Therefore, I missed my exit and ended up about an hour of track somewhere in Kentucky. I'm pretty sure that this would only happen to me. I was so glad when I finally got home and could relax.

All in all it was a great weekend. I'm really hoping that something comes out of it, but we will see. Thanks again everyone for your good luck wishes, thoughts, and prays. You guys are the best and I missed you all this weekend. I'm glad to be back!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Quick Update Before I Hit the Road

Ok., I have soooo much to do before I leave for Nashville today. I don't really have to be in too much of hurry, because the job fair is not until tomorrow but I was going down tonight because its at 8 a.m. tomorrow!

I am trying to update my Ipod right now, but it is not going too well. I can always think of tons of things that I want to download, and then when I sit down to actually do it I can never think of anything!! I am however, currently in the process of downloading the top 100 alt rock songs of the 90s. Ah, nostalgia!

Also, the wonderful Kristi at Sweet Checks tagged me to do a survey, and I just couldn't let that slide a whole weekend. So here it goes:

8 Things I’m Looking Forward To:

• (Hopefully) a new job
• Going to the beach
• Shopping in Nashville
• Running my next 10k
• Bonnaroo this summer
• Flip flop and tank top weather
• Fourth of July!!
• Summertime in general

8 Things I did Yesterday:

• Visited the parents
• Worked at Rave
• Went to the gym
• Watched the T.V.
• Packed a little
• Read Blogs
• Chatted with the sis
• Cleaned

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

• Be invisible
• Makes tons of money doing something that I absolutely love
• Travel
• Live in Australia
• Be a talk show host
• Be a professional runner
• Win the lottery
• Be a superhero!

8 Shows I Watch:

• Tough Love
• Nitro Circus
• Fantasy Factory
• Running in Heels
• The Hills
• The City
• Anything on food network (right Jenny?!)
• No Reservations

No time to tag! Hope you understand. I gotta get movin!!!Thanks everyone for the good lucks and prayers, I love you all sooo much!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, I'll be back on Monday!

Nashville Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I am leaving for Nashville for the weekend to attend an education career fair! My aunt teaches down there and she got hired at this same career fair last year, so I'm really hoping that this could be my big break! I really really really need this, a good job, a new city...it would be GREAT! Everyone please say a pray for me and wish me luck, I need all that I can get!!!

So yesterday was filled with prep work for tomorrow. I printed of a zillion copies of my resume, cleaned out my car, checked my oil, pumped up my tires, and filled up my gas. Everything is a GO!

I am also excited because Lucas goes to school in between where I live and Nashville, so I will be stopping by to see him on my way there tomorrow. He has been really sick since last weekend, so I am glad that I will get to see him for a little bit. Why is it that guys convert into a 2 year old state when they are sick?! haha. I swear they would not know what to do without their moms/girlfriends/wives/sisters/etc. Women just know how to take care of sickly people! haha. I'm going to put together a "get-well kit" for him.

After yoga on Tuesday, my legs and muscles were feeling really good and stretched, so I was ready for a run! Ok, I'll be honest my legs and arms were freakin SORE from yoga!! Everytime I do yoga I get more sore than any other exercise that I do. I guess its all that bending and stretching. So I warmed up a little on the eliptical and then moved to the treadmill. Here was my workout:

• 35 Minutes on the eliptical
• 4 mile run on the treadmill at an east pace.

I got in a pretty good workout, so I was happy with that.

Yesterday for lunch I made what is becoming my favorite wrap combo:

• Italian Herb Flat-Out Wrap
• Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge
• Sliced Cucumber
• Sliced Tomato
• Spinach
• Dijon Mustard

After my day of preparation I hoped in the shower and got ready for POOL NIGHT! Yep, the Wednesday night tradition. I am really starting to sharpen up my pool skillzz.

Just look at that form! haha.

Opponent #1

Opponent #2

Opponent #3

We got beat, maybe next time.

Fast forward to this morning where I once again sacrificed my chances of living to be 130 by eating cottage cheese everyday in order to mix up my meals. But, it was worth it!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 Banana
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• Strawberries, chopped
• A Few Cinnamon Mini Rice Cakes crumbled on top.

Oh yeah! And check out these awesome card that I got in the mail yesterday from Foodbuzz

They are little mini cards for my blog, and on the back are pictures of all kinds of foods and drinks. I LOVE THEM!

Alright, I still have a lot to get done today before I leave tomorrow. I am soo excited about my trip. Is it weird that I actually like driving long distances by myself?! Its a five hour drive...so I am off to update my Ipod, vacuum my car, go for a run, then workin it at the mall.

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Internet Outage!

I have felt so out of the loop all day because my Internet has been down since LAST NIGHT! It just now came back on. What the heck?! Way to be on top of things, Charter. The cable was out too, so today has been a very quite, boring day around the house. On top of that it was rainy and gray outside all day, so needless to say, it has just been "one of those days".

I really wanted to get an outdoor run in today, but with the rain and cold I just wasn't feelin' it too much. I couldn't go to the gym and run on the treadmill either, because my sister has my card to get into the gym. So I just decided that a nice rest and stretch for my muscles would do me some good, so I did an hour of yoga instead. It was very relaxing and helped me de-stress from the week.

Operation "get-out-of-the-food-rut" led me to a new breakfast. I don't know though, I was really hoping that eating cottage cheese everyday would keep me kicking all the way up past the 100s. :)

• Blueberry Waffles
• 1/2 Banana
• Strawberry Preserves
• Blueberries
• Maple Syrup

Keeping with the "get-out-of-the-food-rut" theme, I fixed up a mixture of things that did not include a sandwich OR a wrap. I get so indecisive when it comes to my meals that I always end up just putting a little bit of random things together to make a meal. Why can I NEVER make up my mind?! haha.

Here is lunch:

HUGE SALAD!

• Spinach leaves
• Romaine Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Green Pepper
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Light Italian Dressing

• Mushroom Burger
• Cheddar Quacker Oats Mini Rice Cakes

I may or may not have had a couple of pieces of Easter candy from my basket after that as well. ;)

After that I got ready and went to work. Work went well, we spent the whole night rearranging the store to look pretty with all the new spring clothes we got it. I was doing some hard physical labor in there! Climbing ladders, hammering in shelves, putting together wall displays. I felt pretty bad ass. But, now I am exhausted! Time to catch up on blogs, make some dinner, and call it a night.

Goodnight! Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Family Fun (Ultra Cheese Alert)

This Easter was so much fun. I pretty much spent all day with the family, going to church, eating an Easter worthy lunch, and going Easter egg hunting. Also, about and hour of that time was spent taking funny (and SUPER cheese-y) pictures with the fam. Ch-ch-check it!

ok. this was posed. But she was DETERMINED to get that egg.

My little sister, Tatum, was ruthless. She was pretty much in full on sprint the whole time trying to get to the eggs before everyone else.

All of the sissys. Notice how out of place I look. haha.

Here's were I started thinking of funny, cheese-y poses for us to do.

Heres another

AND ANOTHER! haha

My sisters fell backwards off the bench when I thought it would be a good pose to put their feet up in the air. oops.

She was OK!

Action Shot!

My parents. Aren't they just the cutest?!

Fast forward to today. I was SUPER ready to get back into the swing of things after pigging out on Easter candy and Ham yesterday. So I was happy to have my usual breakfast when I woke up.

Half a cup of fat free cottage cheese with Blueberries mixed in and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Whole Wheat Toast with Blackberry Preserves AND Apricot Preserves. Unfortunately my indecisiveness extends past the breakfast table and into my regular life.

After breakfast I FINALLLY got to the grocery store. I was kind of anxious to go to the grocery store because of a funny story that happened this weekend. First a little back story the guy who works in the produce section of the grocery store is super CUTE, I had a class with him in college, so I know him and everytime I go to the grocery store we usually talk. Ok got that?! Good. Now the funny part:

Saturday night my friend Brittani and I hit up one of our favorite dance spots. We usually just dance by ourselves and generally are bitches to any creeps that try to come hit on us. Anyway, there was this guy that kept trying to get my attention while I was dancing, but I kept giving him mean looks and blowing him off. He didn't stop, so finally I look over to say something......and realize it is my produce boy!! Me being a little "braver" than usual (if you catch my drift) ran over and gave him a big hug to say hi. Now we have made small talk in the produce section of Kroger before, but NEVER took it as far as physical contact (just a hug!) in a CLUB before. hahaha. I guess you could say I was a little embarrassed to see him again in the grocery store.

Well, I successfully made my grocery trip, saw the produce boy, smiled, made small talk, and went on my merry way. Geez, that was awkward. haha :)

Came home from the grocery store, unloaded, chopped, bagged, and stored the groceries. Then made up a quick lunch. I tried a new wrap combo!

• Italian Herb Flat Out Wrap
• Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge
• Sliced Cucumber
• Sliced Tomato
• Spinach
• Dijon Mustard
• Quacker Oats Cheesey Mini Rice Cakes

YUM! I really liked this combo alot! It was very fresh and just plain good.

After lunch I went to a meeting about proctoring for standardized testing in the elementary schools. It is volunteer and not paid or anything, but it would be fun.

Then I went over to the gym to get a little run in.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a long run or a short run, so I decided just to hop on and see how I felt. After a miles I set my goal at 5 miles, but after I finished 5 I wanted to do one more, so I ran 6 miles in all. The only that SUCKS about doing long runs at the gym is that the treadmills are automatically set to cool down after 30 minutes, so I had to constantly reset it to keep it from slowing me down. Oh well.

Now I'm off to cook up some dinner and probably lounge around for the rest of the night. I hope everyone had a good Monday. I know, Mondays generally are bad. But, its almost over!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.