The Olympics!

The Olympics! If there were one reason that I wish I weren't leaving for India next week it would be the Olympics (oh, yea, and a week away from McKoy).

I get so into the emotions of the athletes, imagining how much effort they put into making a sport their life, it is all over there face in emotions of victory or defeat. For the most part, it is a feel good TV, something we don't always have. So, I'm excited to watch as much as I can until Thursday!

I think I am ready for India. I am already kind of psyching myself out about the 15 hour flight- ugh! I did buy two books last night for some reading and I'm hoping there are some good movie in the in-flight entertainment. I guess I can go to the American website and check that out!

Anyhow, nothing much happening here. I'll try to post again soon :)

Back to India!

These past few weeks have been rough at work. My plate is definitely full and I am truly struggling to stay focused and perform at the level that I need to. Not to mention that I have been in pain pretty much every day for the past two weeks... thank you trainer.

I can say for certain that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday, my bosses and I made a very last minute decision- I am going to India in 25 days. Typically I would have months to plan and manage a trip before actually going. 25 days is a tight turn-around, but I sincerely feel energized by it. When planning a trip, I have a few step by step actions that I need to take. The first time I planned to travel for IU, I really turned it into a science.

I will only be in India for about 8 days, but I am ready for a visit. It was my first location of overseas travel and I loved it. I'm sure I'll get a little stressed over the next few weeks of planning on short notice, but the renewed energy and the ability to visit a place that I love again is just too exciting to pass up! More details to come!

Well, so far we are about 2 weeks into the new year and McKoy and I have been doing great with our resolution to make better choices about our food. I am trying to see food as fuel (which it truly is) instead of something pleasureable. Hopefully someday I'll get to the point of seeing it as both. We've done well, but I won't lie, I'd love some hot wings! We are still trying to figure out how to rework that flavor into better and healthier choices. Maybe a meat replacement and hot sauce. Seems sacreligious. Ha.

In other news, I tested for allergies for the second time in my life this past Friday. I am allergic to about 60 of the 70 things they tested me for. The process was much better than it was when I was tested at age 12. Essentially, they explained to me that most of the health issues I have had all of my life are directly related to allergies. Which I now can see. It was a great visit- I really felt like they were paying attention to me and my issues!

So, typically the outcome would be a few prescriptions (which I do have) and daily or weekly allergy shots for the next 5 or so years. Instead, this office is participating in a new program called "Rapid Desensitization." Essentially, this is a 5 hour appointment of allergy shots. Leading up to the appointment, I'll be on a serious round of allergy meds to keep me from reacting to any of the allergy shots. When I go in for my appointment, I'll be there for five hours during which I'll recieve three shots in increasing doses every 25 minutes. After this appointment, I will have achieved what may have taken 6 months to a year and I will be at the maintenance level of allergy shots. I am incredibly excited about this!

So, my appointment is this upcoming Friday. Let's hope I don't have to use the epi pen that they prescribed and that all is well!

It's almost 2010....

So, Ive been a total slacker at this blog thing. One of my MANY resolutions for 2010 is to be better at blogging. The past nine months have been very hectic- and I feel that the one thing that has suffered the most is my relationships with close friends. I enjoy keeping up with Kira, Betsy and Sarah via their blogs and have been asked more than once if I intend to keep mine up. So, this year I hope that I can use my blog to keep a journal of 2010 and keep up with my close friends.

I intend for 2010 to be a new year- and one of the best that I have ever had. I hope 2010 holds a wedding, a few great road trips, graduate school, and maybe a new house (yep- not an apartment- a house).

My resolution this year is "simply" this: to live a healthier more purposeful life. McKoy and I are dabbling in organic eating and possible vegetarianism. We have already cut red meat from our diet, with a few exceptions. I plan to make better food choices at every stop. We will buy shares in organic farming in Bloomington and consider buying shares of meat from a local farm. I will attempt to buy in season produce at the grocery store, from the organic section when I can and stay away from the processed food in the middle of the store. In addition, at the new year I have six sessions scheduled with a personal trainer. I am looking forward to learning new work-outs for my current state that I can use in apartment complex gym. I will get back into working on the Couch Potato to 5K running plan.

Those are my resolutions. I know I have a lot to learn about local/seasonal foods, organic eating and where our food comes from, but I am willing to make this resolution.

What are your resolutions for 2010?

The great white death and the black plague.

So this past week brought the great white death of 2009. Bloomington got about 12 inches of snow with some ice in between the two snow falls. Campus was closed on Wednesday- and the county was under a snow emergency- essential personnel on the roads only. I really wasn't aware of that, but I can't say it would have stopped me anyway- I was on a mission. Last weekend I ordered a new phone- blackberry 8830 world edition in red! In order to avoid the inevitable missed deliveries, I had it shipped to work. Little did I know that campus would be closed on delivery day! So, Wednesday morning I called FedEx to see if I could change the delivery address. They said no, but that they could hold it at the shipment facility in Bloomington (which is about 4 miles from my house). So, I took a little field trip. It took me about 15-20 minutes to get out of my parking space- but it was smooth sailing from there. There were plenty of people on the roads- some better drivers than others. I was back home in about a half an hour- mission accomplished. I spent the rest of the day trying to learn how to use the phone- and I still have a long way to go!

We are by no means cleared of the snow- last night the temp was above freezing and it is supposed to be a 40 degrees today, so the slow melt is beginning. Honestly, I'm ready for it all to be GONE! I'm ready for spring! My grandmother in Madison definitely has it worse than me. It is almost all ice down there and she still hasn't been able to dig her car out of the mess.

I have been feeling under the weather for this entire past week. Friday morning I had almost no voice and it has gotten progressively worse over the last few days. I left work early on Friday and finally broke down and went to prompt care yesterday morning. Apparently I have one of the wonderful viral infections that is going around town- awesome. I'm on a few meds to treat the symptoms but I'm still generally miserable and can't sleep- I wake up about once an hour. McKoy has, of course, been so sweet about it. He feels super guilty that he isn't here to help me do chores and run errands.

So snow and sickness are pretty much all that has been going on with me the last week. I hope everyone else enjoyed the snow fall more than I did!

Slumdog Millionaire and other weekend fun

Yesterday I went to see Slumdog Millionaire with a friend. I might feel especially tied to this movie because of my recent travels to India- but I absolutely loved the film. It was a representation of India that we, as Americans, aren't often shown. The gritty under-belly of a dirty, old, over populated city and a look at how the people in slums live. It is definitely a must see given all of the Oscar buzz. And, trust me, what you see of India is how it is: the crowding, the dirt, the begging children.

Afterwards I had dinner at friends and went out to a bar here in Bloomington. I was feeling a bit old as it has been such a long time since I went out "drinking." There are a few people in this world who still bring out that side of me but for the most part, all that is part of my past. A past in which I had a world of fun!

Today I've been taking it easy and enjoying a day at home. I still have about 25 pages of reading to do for class this week. I've learned that I feel much better about the week ahead if I have completed my reading before the new week begins. I have found myself a bit more interested in the reading this week than last week- which gives me hope for this semester! Although, I am not convinced that studying education (Higher Ed and Student Affairs or International and Comparative Ed) is the right path for me.

Tomorrow I'll begin planning my two week work trip to the Middle East- Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Jordan. Yes, I am excited about this trip, but I do wish I were going back to India. I guess I'll just have to wait until fall to get that fix again.

First blog of 2009!

So... I'm home. I've been home a little over a week and it has been a mixture of tears and hard work. Wow, that sounded lame. Let me explain. This was the hardest it has ever been for me to leave McKoy to come home. My two weeks down there was not perfect by any stretch. Two weeks staying with his whole family had it's challenges for someone who lives alone. And we fought, quite a bit actually, but I still love him all the same and maybe even more. So, there were a lot of tears from the time I left Montego Bay for about three days. Then, I had to go back to work. As soon as I got back to work, I was slammed with a million things going on. But, I guess it is good to stay busy. Anyway, this post isn't about that.

McKoy and I did a lot of fun things we had never done before thinking this might be my last trip for a very, very long time. There are some great memories. One of my favorites was laundry day! No big adventure to the beach, McKoy and I had a total blast doing laundry the old school way! I have another photo similar to this to hang on my laundry room door to remind me never to complain about having to put clothes in the washing machine! We also went to a place called the Pelican Bar which was a bar on a submerged sandbar about a kilometer out to see- so much fun! We were the first people there so we had the place to ourselves for about an hour before all the tourists started showing up. McKoy made friends with some German guys, we went snorkeling until I cut my foot on coral (reminded me of Betsy's incident in BVI) and wimped out.

I promised this would be short- even though I have so much more to say. This was an amazing trip, but the next time I see McKoy, I hope it will be here in the states. Maybe less than 3 months from now... that, would be my one wish for 2009.

I hope everyone had an amazing christmas & new year- no resolutions for me, I think I'll just focus on what it is that I love about my life right now.