Merry Christmas...just early!

Since I work the night of the 24th and the 26th, my only real chance to be with MS family and exchange gifts was the 22nd and 23rd.

Santa came to my house early to accomodate UAB's whip-cracking schedule.

Selfish?

I got some wise advise from a friend recently to be really selfish.

Now don't misunderstand her. Maybe I just need to do things for myself without anyone else's thought, opinion, feeling, or reaction to be a factor.

Maybe I will...




A very sweaty me and dad after chilly tennis

Not surprising

That's right...I'm reading it

Giving Thanks

While I continue to procrastinate my responsibilities to produce an interesting reply to my tag on the Kreativ Blogger award, I will give an interim post.

With the recent reminder, I have so much to be thankful for

~I am thankful for my family - Meghan, I DO love for you to pick on me and try to hug me excessively (even if I don't act like it). Mom and Dad- You 2 are the true picture of loving parents and are so sacrificial and kind.

~I am thankful for my great job and place to live - Neighbors upstairs, I appreciate the recognition that I DO live below you and don't care to watch TV to the beat of your aerobics video.

~I am thankful for my friends - Old and new, tears fun and trouble ;)

~I am thankful for my health

There are so many more blessings that are countless. Let me never forget to be thankful.



So much for MSU and Auburn

GO DAWGS ~ WAR EAGLE!!

Psalm 139

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

So long...

Just when I thought that I had given this up, here I am.

I can't even actually remember if this felt expressive or therapeutic. You would think I would have alot to say by now, but surprisingly feel out of words. I don't know that I have ever felt at such a strange point in my life than I do right now. There could be several reasons, but I think as a whole, the culprit is change.

Change-I am still trying to adjust to living my life as an adult with no one telling me what to do. (I know it's been a while, but I feel like it's a drastic change that just takes longer for some people)

Change-I've moved 7 times in the last 5 years with 3 moves within Birmingham. I can't obtain roots and not really certain that I want to.

Change- Living by myself again and although I enjoy the freedom, its a little more solitude than I need right now.

How could I feel like I've done a complete 180 from what I'm used to. All of a sudden, I don't feel like I know who I am anymore. In the past few days I have been digging and digging with no answer. Is change a good thing? Sometimes, sure.
This feeling of limbo is so incredibly unsettling right now.

I need a rock right now...

So HOOD!

Fun hood party!

P.S. I don't know how people stand tight pants...

Tired...

I'm tired of thinking. Thinking good or bad, too much.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - If anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Celebrity Look-a-like

After entering several photos, I received the following results (Now, I WILL say that I don't understand what they base this on, because I can't say that I agree with the majority of them):


1. Jessica Biel - 97%.

2. Kate Winslet - 86%

3. Meredith Monroe - 83%

4. Catherine Zeta-Jones - 80% and ridiculous by the way

Lil Hil

After a needed break from the blogging world, I thought that I would come back with a bit of cheeriness. Here's a few pictures from my childhood...Me and my sister mostly with one of my cute mom. Sorry they're so little...click on them

Colorado - Chapter 2

Well we fly out tomorrow afternoon with a massive layover in Chicago (where there are supposed to be ice storms) and get into Birmingham at an exhausting 10pm.

We did a horrible job at taking pictures while actually on the slopes racking up a whopping 1 picture today courtesy of a lady on the bench.

I've officially decided that I'm NOT good with altitude. Why not? I workout, I've been pounding water, and I feel that I have a larger than normal lung capacity. After talking to residents of CO, I was told that I am a walking susceptibility for altitude sickness. Reason #1 - Workout regimen. I was told that working out was actually a disadvantage to my well-being here (not fair!!). Even though I am better off without burning quads after 2 days of snowboarding, apparently those who have muscles that are used to getting more oxygen to thrive off of, hurt worse when deprived (i.e. the horrible body aches I experienced today). Reason #2 Size. Being a slightly smaller person, I'm automatically at more of a risk - I can't remember why, but BOO! Reason #3...Even though I'm putting down water like it's my job, like I said earlier, it just runs right through me so alot of good that does.

So after a few runs on the bunny slopes today, we went inside to warm up. I could tell I was done. My head started to pound and my whole body just started to ache. I stayed in the car with the air blasting on high 90 degrees for almost an hour and STILL couldn't warm up! I don't know whether it was the descent from the mountains or the unbelievable amount of ibuprofen/tylenol/excedrin that was consumed, but I feel much better.

I will say that I am ready to come home after a good vacation. I want warm, I want flat, I want my friends.

So to those that I see on a normal basis, see you soon!!

Oh and I just found this old sips n' strokes pic so with lack of skiing pics, this will have to do ;)

Colorado: Chapter 1

So I've been in Colorado for 4 days now. So much to say! Let's talk about a few things:

1)Temperature - It's totally not as cold as I thought it would be! Or I guess a better description of my pleasant findings would be a "different" cold. I guess I'm used to the wet-cold of AL and MS where a mere 45 degrees and I dread walking out to my car for something. This is dry and surprisingly tolerable. It has been in the 40's and 50's in Denver, extremely sunny, and GORGEOUS! Now I am aware that now that we are in the mountains, things will be different, but I will be in ski clothes so hopefully okay.

2)Hydration - Now don't get me wrong, I drink my share of water at home, but I also drink my share of diet dr. pepper. If anyone has ever heard of altitude sickness, THEY ARE SERIOUS! Days 1 and 2, I was fine. By the morning of day 3, I had a dull headache but had been drinking a slight amount more water than usual. By the morning of day 4, I got dizzy when I stood up and winded when walking up the stairs...This is NOT right! So i decided to take the CO residents' advice and flood myself with water. So I did...BIG TIME. I think I added up my water intake to approx 100 oz. This may be normal for some people but my poor bladder can't take it. Now I already pee more than the normal person (Too much info? sorry) Today was out of control and of course we were on the road to keystone. Poor K graciously pulled over every 12 minutes for what seemed like an emergency stop. I may have overdone it but oh well.

3)Scenery - This place is beautiful!! Even the regular ho-hum interstate is just gorgeous. Not greenery, not big white clouds, but a different beauty. Mountains, snow, different elevations, rocks, ice...everything! We went to Garden of the Gods Friday. Summary: big rocks, snow, slippery ground. The drive to the mountains was amazing and I can't wait to get out there on the slopes tomorrow!!

4)Productivity - I brought my school stuff to work on (I know, aren't I productive?) I guess it would have helped to bring the right book for my assignment this week...Oh well, I tried. It's not really the thought that counts in this situation. I know something I'll be doing when I get home.

So all in all having a great time, miss a few folks at home, and glad to have a few days of to come down from my vacation high when I get back. Here's a few pics from so far. More to come!

H

Feeling hot hot hot!

I could sit here and name downsides of living alone for a few minutes, but there are definitely perks. One of these being the freedom of the thermostat. Now I have never argued about temperature with my former roommates and learned to adapt and compromise, but I figure if it's just me, I can be as extreme as I want to be!

Maybe I should keep a slightly closer watch on my temp choice. For example: The other day when my garbage disposal went to crap, I called maintenance. I found out they couldn't make it until Monday. I worked Sunday night. Now usually after I come home from work, I turn the heat on full blast and only turn it off when I wake up (I am not denying that something is really wrong with my internal temperature management, I just don't know what it is). I also usually turn the heat off and even the AC on when I know someone is coming over with the consideration that probably no one else is as cold-natured as me.

I usually let the maintenance man come in while I'm asleep simply to avoid awkward moments and small talk. So monday morning when I went to sleep, I just shut my door and hoped for the best. I woke up around 1:30 to find my garbage disposal still broken. Man! He's gonna come in when I'm awake. Still cold, (not surprising) I had 1)heat blasting 2)long sleeves and pj pants on 3)a blanket on snuggled on the couch.

Knock Knock Knock! Oh no! I ran to immediately turn the heat off, knowing that it would take much longer than that to extinguish the sauna that I had created throughout the day. I'm just sure the mm coughed a little as he walked in. I can't imagine what he thought about this little girl who was all bundled up in the heat when it was probably not even THAT cold outside!

As he walked to the sink, I tried to swallow my embarrassment and make the dreaded small talk. To no one's surprise, he very quickly made the assessment that "I would need a totally new garbage disposal which couldn't be done until a later date". Translation: I can't possibly spend another minute in this sauna!

So my apologies to the maintenance guy and anyone else who has suffered a burnout in my apartment ;) I will try to do better.

Well, I THOUGHT I was ready

Upon graduating, I was bound and determined on biting the bullet and starting my Masters in the fall. When I started my job in May, things changed. I weighed my options and decided that taking some time off to get acclimated to my job, settle into Birmingham, work some overtime, and actually have some free time was the smart decision for now. I'm so glad I took that time, but I wonder if the school sparkle has left my eye.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't freakishly love school or anything, but I do feel like it's something that I'm good at. I also like to have a goal or something to work towards and I feel that school feels that need more than work to some extent. Call me crazy.

As I started my first MSN class this past week, I cringed as I opened webct. Is it that it's an online class, which I despise? Is it the title alone? (Research statistics for advanced practice). All I know is that reading my assigned research article about hospice vs. nursing home on end of life care could have been a lot more interesting without all the study design, n=205, t-variable mumbo jumbo. I hate stats.

As time goes, hopefully things will fall back into place....right?

I know what you're thinking, "Hilary's blogs are about to go WAY south to the boring pole". I hope not, but bear with me.

On a more exciting note, I go skiing in t-minus 12 days and I am ecstatic!! I am so ready to test my athleticism to the snow. I am NOT ready for the cold, but I guess I'll manage. I want to get out there, I want to ski, board, do whatever I can get my hands on. I want to fall and get bruised-which is sure to happen. Who knows, this may be my calling ;)...right.

Until next time! H

Embrace

Millions and millions of years would still not give me half enough time to describe that tiny instant of all eternity when you put your arms around me and I put my arms around you. ~Jacques Prévert

Windy Disposition

Here's some pictures from the trip. Hailey, Bac, and I had a wonderful time cut short. I can't say I'm completely heart broken with the weather in Chicago nearing 8 on the day I left. I survived.

I'm left with a weird feeling today...not sure why