Run Georgia

I've decided that I am going to start running some races again. In the past, I have ran 9 Peachtree Roadraces, a Scottish Rite fun run, and several others. Just last week I ran the Kaiser Permanente 5k and had a lot of fun. Today I decided to look at rungeorgia.com which lists several races throughout the year in Georgia. I have just signed up for one this weekend in Cumming, GA and I can't wait. I hope to work my way up to a half marathon and maybe someday a full marathon (if my feet can handle it!). On October 10 I hope to run the Frogtown Trail Challenge, if I am not working for The River that day. I will keep you guys posted on my upcoming races. If any of you are interested in joining me, please let me know. I always love running company!

Pen Pals

I think at one point or another everyone has had a pen pal. I remember having a couple when I was younger. One was a family friend, also named Lauren Ashley, from Canada. The other was a girl my parents met in Costa Rica named Maria. I would frequently send both of them letters and sometimes even packages.

About two weeks ago I met a very intruiguing man named Andreas. I was waiting at a bar for some friends who were about an hour late. Being my usual self, I made friends with people around me at the bar. Andreas immediately caught my attention because of his accent. After talking with him for some time, I learned about his growing up in Germany, his love for fast cars, and his business- to name a few. We talked for an hour but he is definitely one of the most interesting people I have ever met. He has 20 years on me and I am not interested in dating him, but he is still one of the nicest people I have met. He has traveled all over the world and has seen so many places because of his job. Speaking with him peaked my interest because I love to travel and wish to see the world. He told me of the times he lived in the US, India, and several other places and of his visits to China, Brazil, and London. He has even been to places like Akron, Ohio... where I grew up. Who would have thought that this big business man knew of little old Akron. The funny thing is, he had just come from Akron and his flight was delayed, which is why he was talking to me in the first place. He missed his connecting flight to Germany and had to stay an extra night. We had such great conversation about traveling and my life in Italy that we exchanged email addresses. I now feel like I am in 2nd grade again with a pen pal in another country. We have corresponded a couple of times since our first meeting and it is refreshing to make new friends that tell such great stories. Hopefully I will someday travel a world away and run into him again...

Remembering September 11, 2001

I can not believe that today is the 8th anniversary of Sept. 11! I will never forget walking into my second period Spanish class seeing the TV in front of the class. When I first walked in, late as usual, I did not notice that the news was on. I was too worried that my teacher would write me up for being late. I thought we were going to watch a Spanish movie of sorts and quickly got myself settled into my seat. After watching the TV for a moment I realized that it was, in fact, real news that was happening right at that moment in my very own country. My eyes were glued to the TV and I could not stop crying. I remember watching the 2nd plane hit the north tower. For some reason I could not take my eyes off of the television. It was as if something came over me. Watching people jumping out of the building, running from the collapsing buildings with masks on, and seeing faces full of terror quickly came over my being like a shock wave. Although it is by far the saddest thing I have ever seen on TV, for some reason I just could not look away. I kept thinking, this is America. War does not happen here, it happens in other countries. I think it impacted me so greatly because my family is from New York and I have been to the World Trade Center many times when I was younger. I could not believe that such an event could occur somewhere I had been and held dear to my heart. I immediately thought of my family that still resides in New York, wondering if they were all ok and worrying about them. My stomach felt as if it was being churned inside and out. Although no one close to me died on that tragic day, I will never forget the way I felt heartbroken and violated because so many innocent people died that day for no reason. After Sept. 11 I was quite interested in the stories I heard and read that were about those who died that day. I read the book "Let's Roll" by Lisa Beamer. Her husband, Todd Beamer, was on Flight 93 and had tried to overcome the hijackers on the flight. He is known for being a hero and his last audible words from his phone call were "Are you guys ready? Let's roll." I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested. There really is nothing like reading of book about real life heroism. Remembering Sept. 11 makes me very proud to be an American. Although it is a very sad day to remember, I am glad that it brings us all together.

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children."- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

Chiropractors

Recently, I went to a Chiropractor because I had been experiencing a numbness in my left arm due to a pinched nerve. To be honest, I did not know it was a pinched nerve. I first experieced the pain about two months ago and I could have sworn I was having a heart attack. They always said that your left arm would hurt first, you know. Anyhow, I worked an event for 97.1 The River and met these two chiropractors (one that was pretty cute) and decided to have them scan me. They looked at the scan and stated that something was going on with the left side of my neck and that I really should get it looked at. I did not tell them about the numbness in my left arm, so it kind of freaked me out. I had them make an appointment for me for a nearby Chiropractor, who took x-rays and gave me a couple of adjustments. According to the x-rays, I have an extremely straight neck which has pinched some nerves. Although I believe in Chiropractors, I don't want to get suckered into paying for a year of adjustments when I don't think I'm that bad off. Plus, my schedule is so hectic and I don't feel like going to him three times a week, like he recommends. Any thoughts on Chiropractors? I think I might cancel my appointment today...

Quote of the day...

"There comes a point in life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won't anymore, and who always will. So don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future."

And I thought I was done with studying...

So, as many of you know, I am a claims examiner for The Home Depot. After much thought and a nice chat with my boss, I have decided that I am going to study for my AIC (Adjuster in Claims). Not many people have it in my office, which will make me stand out in a great way. Once completed, I will get a sweet little bonus and possibly a raise (if not before then). After studying yesterday, it reminded me of being back at school again. So for all of you recent graduates, don't think that all the tests are over because you could be like me-- writing a million notecards all over again. Wish me luck!

A little piece of heaven :)

Ok, I know this may be weird, but I am obsessed with Wasabi Chickpeas! My favorite ones are from Whole Foods, but these will suffice. If you have never tried them, you must! :)