Very Good Things

• Beach weekend with Mom, Aunt, and Cousin starts tomorrow morning!  Five days of vacation!
• Narcotics.  I would not be functioning right now if it weren’t for the kindly doctor at the ER on Saturday night who took pity on my bronchitis, pleurisy, hyper-inflated lungs, bruised ribs-having self and gave me cough syrup with hydrocodone in it (along with numerous other drugs)
• Hair will be red again after this weekend!
• My tax return and paycheck were both deposited today and while I’m still broke, I am at a more comfortable level of broke-ness.
• The new Fall Out Boy album
• Drinking ridiculous amounts of water and feeling super hydrated
• Positive observation reports from my leads at work
• VIP ticket to see Marianas Trench!
• Sandwiches from the Publix deli

January was kind of a terrible month for me, but a bunch of amazing things have happened over the last two days and I have a super good feeling about February.

• My old roommate Kylie happened to be in Orlando so we got to catch up and lay by the pool in 80 degree weather and hit the town later that night.
• I borrowed a pair of her jeans when we went out and I fit into her size 6 skinny jeans.  I wore a 7 in high school and a 10 in college, so it was a really awesome, tangible example that showed me just how much my body shape has changed since I started running even though I weigh roughly the same amount.
• I finally have a job!!  I interviewed with Universal today and was hired on the spot.  This is such a relief, even though I’ll only have part-time hours.  And I’ll be working at the Revenge of the Mummy ride, which is based on The Mummy remake, which is one of my favorite movies.  I am so excited I could burst!
• In even more fantastic news, I went to puppeteer auditions for Disney yesterday and made it through all the rounds without being cut!  The entire process lasted eight hours, and went from ~100 people down to 25 or so.  I’m super excited and hopeful and I really hope I hear from them soon.
• My apartment complex called me yesterday and said our three-bedroom apartment will be ready to move into sometime this week!  Which means the three of us will no longer be on top of each other in the temporary two-bedroom we’ve been in for the past month, and I’ll be able to bring the rest of my stuff/furniture down soon.  I’m so ready to sleep on a bed again instead of an air mattress.

It’s been a week since my last run.  I was traveling, and then I was really sick earlier this week (still kind of am), so I missed last week’s long run and a maintenance run on Tuesday.  I’m trying to work up the motivation to go for thirty minutes today, and then on Sunday I’m facing seven miles.  I’m not really sure how things are going to go, considering my body is currently a phlegm factory (phactory?), but I’m hoping for the best.

I’ve been making an effort to stay positive, so here are some good things that are happening:

• I had my last official day in the office at my internship yesterday!
• My final report/paper was deemed satisfactory (my internship grade is just satisfactory/unsatisfactory) so I’m officially, 100% graduating.
• Graduation is next Saturday!
• I’m going to another tv taping on Monday
• I watched season 4 of Being Human (UK) while I was sick and it was really, really good.
• I haven’t found a dress for graduation yet but I ordered this one from Express and it should be here by Tuesday
• My roommate finally got a new filter for her turtle tank (after a month), so the house doesn’t stink anymore
• I have a golden ticket for two free meals from Cracker Barrel so I know what I’ll be eating for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.
• The golden ticket includes desserts

Running and Other Very Good Things

I think running six miles was an important turning point in my development as a runner because I actually look forward to running and am bummed when I have to postpone a day due to work. Back in August when I started this journey, I had no idea just how much it would impact my life. I eat healthier, I feel healthier, and I am healthier. Although I haven’t lost any weight, I have redistributed and I like the new shape my body is making. I drove back to my parent’s house today for the holiday, and the first thing I did after saying my hellos was eat a salad and go for a run. I don’t know long this new attitude/feeling about running is going to last, but I certainly hope it stays for a long time.

Here are some other very good things:

• spending Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in three years!
• Rolo-filled chocolate cookies
• Homemade tomato shaak
• many, many games of Euchre
• over a month without Diet Coke and my cravings are finally gone!
• Christmas decorations
• sleeping in my California king instead of a twin bed
• my wonderful, amazing sisters
• yoga pants and waffle knit sweaters
• beautiful running weather
• an abundance of hot water
• graduation in less than three weeks!

Very Good Things

• I had the best weekend ever
• My sister and her friends came to visit
• It was a blast
• I finally got my septum pierced!!
• I love it so much but it’s flipped up while it heals because of my internship and job
• Freshly dyed hair… no more roots!
• My bangs are at this perfect phase where they’ve transitioned from blunt to side-swept
• Reisling Poached Pear Sorbet from Jeni’s ice cream shop in Nashville is to die for
• I will be running four miles (!) today for my half marathon training… scary, but exciting!

Very Good Things

• I finished week 3 of my Couch to 5k today.
• My legs were giving out before I was running out of breath, which is a very good thing for me personally (and the legs giving out is likely a result of being sore from all the running I’ve been doing.  I love being sore because it makes me feel like I’ve worked hard!)
• I finally heard back about my job interview and I’m hired!  I start on Tuesday.
• I found out I’ll be graduating Summa Cum Laude!
• !!!
• Furthermore, I’m graduating in December!  This does not seem real.
• My roommate officially posted her cat on Facebook so I could soon be living in a cat-free home.  (I know most of you love cats, but I am just not a cat person.)
• I got a coupon for a free Which Wich after sending a compliment to the store’s website.

Spring Break Plans

I’m driving down to Orlando tomorrow and I am so excited for this next week!

• new iPod cassette player for my car (since my old one was stolen)
• World War Z on audiobook
• numerous episodes of the Nerdist podcast
• 40 hours at work
• (I even get to Zebra it up on stilts next Saturday!)
• snacks for days
• Mom made cookies for me to take with me
• I get to see my Disney friends/coworkers
• 12 days until I go to New York City!!

This is my first real break in a year

and it feels so, so good.  I have this whole week with absolutely nothing to do, and I’m in heaven.  Every other break I’ve had to work, so this is much needed.  Here are some good things that are going on in my life:

• Final grades are in… I have a 4.0!
• I’m going on a cruise next week!!
• I’m going to be at Disney from the 25th through Jan. 4th
• I’m getting my hair colored tomorrow
• I should find out if I was accepted to my major in the next few days

This week is basically going to consist of playing cards with my family, reading like a fiend, and not worrying about a single thing.

Very Good Things

• dropping a class with a ridiculous teacher
• Sleepytime tea
• my blackberry
• black beans and rice
• the 3 day survival backpack my dad made me
• a full cabinet of groceries, also from Dad
• butts & gutts class
• warmish weather

Very Good Things

Because I feel crappy, and because I have horrible cramps, here’s a list of very good things from today:

• There were no parking spots this morning and even though I parked on a curb I didn’t get a ticket or get towed
• I don’t have as much homework as I thought I did
• I finished buying all my books and they only cost $340 (I spent almost $700 last time)
• My room is clean
• The temperature has been climbing all week and it was 54 today
• I have groceries