Sicky germs....

Well everyone knows no matter where you live, there are all kinds of sicky germs floating around. I've seen my boss, friends and family battle the flu-like germs, bronchitis, laryngitis and the lovely stomach flu. I have been clinging faithfully to my Vitamin C but I think the sicky germs are persistent and trying to take over. I've felt really fatigued since Sunday night and had small boughts of feeling feverish, chills, etc. Tuesday was the worst but today I feel the best I've felt all week. I have sick time with work but don't really have the flexibility to be sick. There is always so much to get done. I hope that I can keep these germs from manifesting and thankfully the weekend is right around the corner and I plan to get lots of rest (that is besides getting in the runs that I need to do).

I had a really busy week planned but made some minor adjustments due to the fact that I have not felt well. No need to over do it since I don't have time be sick (like anyone ever has "time" to be sick). Last night, I went with my friend Amy to see The Four Kicks. We saw them a couple weeks ago at The Rutledge and got free tickets to last nights show at 3rd & Linsley. I like there sound because I can't really compare them to anyone else but if I had to try, I hear remnants of The Beatles :) The crowd might have been small but I sometimes prefer that and it sure didn't stop them from rockin' out!! I went home and promptly bought their cd on itunes. I just love hearing live music and it only makes me that much more excited to be learning guitar. I have another lesson tonight since I wasn't able to make it on Tuesday.

Change O' Plans and a Tire

Well last night did NOT go according to plan....typical! The plan was to drive to Cathryn's house and then we would ride together to "Legends & Lyrics". However, I clearly didn't see the curb coming up the hill to Cathryn's condo and promptly busted (or perhaps a better word to use would be slashed) my front passenger-side tire. As soon as I parked the car and got out, I heard that lovely "ssssss" sound of air escaping my tire and knew that I had done a good job. Not to worry, since I have AAA, let's just go to the show.

So we headed downtown and took our place in the snake-shape sort of line of other general admission participants...the time was 7 pm (doors open at 7 pm, show starts at 8pm). Cathryn and I enjoy conversation and good people watching and watch the minutes tick tock on. We go through production assistants, producers, security guards telling us that it will be another 15-20 minutes before we are shown to our seats. Excuses of delayed sound checks, technical difficulties and missing band members are thrown out. It's now 9:15 and we get the latest "sound check" excuse...my back hurts, our feet are on fire from standing on marble floors in heels for over 2 hours, and we call it. Not too mention, that if we did stay and get to the show, we commit to being locked in for 2 hours which would then put us out after midnight and let's face it....we don't have the luxury of skipping work the next day. So much for audience variety because I guarantee the crowd will look like a college classroom.

As soon as we get back to the car, I place my service call to AAA for them to come change/fix my tire and the timing was perfect because they arrived as soon as we got back to Cathryn's house. The service man was prepared to fix the tire but realized that my "slash" was not really fixable. He put on the spare time and gave me my cautious warning about driving home and to try and avoid the curbs. Very funny!! Thankfully, there is a Firestone store right by my house so first thing this morning, I promptly took my vehicle in and purchased my new tire.

Nothing like a new tire for a new day!

Weekends are never long enough...

At least that's what I think! If only the work week would go by as fast as the weekends do. I do think I enjoyed most of it. Friday night, Jen and I grabbed dinner at Jonathans and just vegged at home. Saturday morning, I survived a 5 mile run and then hung out with Crazy Amy before having some friends over on Saturday night to watch a movie. We saw "Body of Lies" and I give it about a 5...mainly because I feel like we don't need another action-movie plot that deals with terrorists issues. Been there...seen that! Sunday was church and then I worked at PBK. Sunday evening I enjoyed being at home, watching the Oscars while going through the Sunday paper, giving myself a mani and eventually falling asleep on the couch. It's been so cold this weekend and I've taken every opportunity to be indoors. I am so ready for warmer weather. Where in the world is Spring?

This work week should go by pretty fast especially because I have stuff going on every night this week. Tonight I am going to a live taping of Legends and Lyrics with my friend Cathryn. I am excited for multiple reasons. First off, it's live music and a songwriters in the round event...that's almost always a good thing. Secondly, I have never been to a live taping of any type of TV show and this is something that is going to air on American Public Television and will air on PBS in April of 2009. Thirdly, the artists we get to see tonight are, Dwight Yoakam, Amy Lee (Evanescence), Gavin DeGraw and The Duhks (Rising Star). I really like Amy Lee of Evanescence and can't wait to hear them all LIVE!

Fridays

How can one day of the week hold so much excitement? When I wake up on Friday morning, I have to fight back a smile because I know that tomorrow is Saturday and another weekend is here. Even if I have to work over the weekend, there is just something about Fridays that I love.

I don't have too much planned for this weekend which is kind of nice. I am looking forward to spending some time with my roomie, I have a 5 mile run to accomplish tomorrow and hope that rain/snow isn't really in the forecast and invited a small group of friends over to watch movies on Saturday night. Church on Sunday and then working my final shift at PBK and then plan to watch the Oscars...all in all....a pretty low key weekend.

Being Single

Most Wednesday nights I spend with my friends Amy and Cathryn as we hang out and watch LOST. I very much enjoy the complexity of that show and enjoy the numerous theories we share as we try to figure out what this "island" is all about and whether or not Ben is good or evil. BUT what I enjoy more than watching this show is the "other" conversations we have. AND without fail, as we divulge the "what's new" in our lives with each other, the topics of being single and/or marriage arises. Cathryn is a fellow blogger and amazing writer. You have to read her recent post "A Marriage Manifesto" on her blog. I couldn't have said it better!


And as much as I am enjoying my singleness, I am a girl who looks forward to that day when God brings a boy into my life that I can walk side by side with and just live life with. Until then....

Weekend Fun with Friends!

I love it when weekend include fun with friends. Friday night a group of us went out to hear the band, The Four Kicks (think classic rock, Pete Yorn and the slightest sound of The Beatles) at this great little venue called The Rutledge (one of my fave places to hear live music in Nashville). The show didn't start till 9 pm and the Rutledge just happens to be next to a great little Mexican restaurant so some of us met up around 7pm for margaritas and Mexican food. Thankfully The Four Kicks played first, because the 2nd band was not good so we migrated outside to hang on the patio. Here are a couple group pics:

Mike, Me, Katie and Patrick

Saturday I had registered to run the Predators Fangtastic 5k along with a friend from Sunday School, Holly. Thankfully the race didn't start until 10 am so it warmed up some and the wind off the river wasn't too bad. Holly finished in around 32 mins and I followed around 33 mins and then we enjoyed bagels and fruit at the finish line. It was so fun to have someone else at the race and I very much enjoyed our conversation. I feel like I have made a new friend. Part of this race of course, is you get free tickets to the Predators Hockey Game that night. Knowing this in advance, I organized a small group of friends from church to go to the game and it was a good time. I hadn't been to a hockey game in almost two years....much different from my CO days when we went to 1 game a month for about 7 months....but it all comes back rather quickly and you cant help but stand up and cheer every time a goal is scored and the loud horn blows!!

Predators Hockey at the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville

Holly, Mike and I Tim and I
Sunday was church and then I did lunch with friends and then some errands while I was in Franklin. It was a pretty low key day and I tried as best I can to get mentally prepared for another work week. Ugh!

Warm Wonderful Weekend

There is not too much that can make a weekend more wonderful than warm weather and by warm I mean mid 70's (happy sigh). It has been so nice to see blue skies, white puffy clouds and sunshine and I definitely made sure to take advantage of it this weekend. Last week of work was so busy and at times confining so to be outside this weekend was just that...wonderful. Saturday morning after sleeping in a bit, I went to Bellemeade Boulevard to get in a little 3 mile run. Today after church, lunch and a couple quick errands, I went to Percy Warner Park and did the infamous Stairs (climbing/running trails down) 4 times in fact. It was like I just couldn't get enough of the great outdoors. Even driving around with my windows rolled down was refreshing. Now, I just have to break it to myself gently, that we still have more cold weather to endure before spring really arrives. But I think I'll live in denial just a little longer :)

Keith Urban makes it look easy...

I'm talking about his guitar talent. I had my first guitar lesson last night and while I am so excited to learn how to play...it's going to take a lot of work and patience and practice. My friend Patrick is giving me lessons so it's fun to learn with a friend. I honestly couldn't stop smiling from just holding the guitar...I felt like a silly school girl with a crush. I just love music!

He had a basic chord sheet for me and I actually played (or at least attempted to) the D,A,E,C,G chords and learned to read the chord sheet. We went over some basics, how to hold the pick, how to strum, etc. My homework for this week is to work on the D,A,E chords and to work on getting a clear sound. Finger placement is key and it's going to take a while for me to train my fingers how to bend just so. I also now have an excuse (not that i need one) to get a manicure this week and get my fingernails filed down. I never thought my nails were long but they were long enough to get in the way so they will go bye bye.

Mondays

How come Mondays always seem to come so fast but it takes such a long time to get to a weekend? Just something I am pondering today....

I had a good weekend though. I finally found my way to the gym on Friday night seeing that I had not been all week and I also took that dreadful step on the scale. I was glad to have not gained any weight or lost for that matter....just holding my own. But I will say that for a vacation and then not really working out all week, I'll take no change in the numbers. However this week, I will most definitely hope to see some loss. This is the official start week of training for yet another half marathon....the Country Music Half Marathon to be specific. I have friends coming from Colorado to run with me and I am very excited. I also bought new running shoes on Saturday so I am excited to actually run without shoe pains. And on top of running, tonight is the first of 2 introductory classes to Pilates at the YMCA. I have heard so many great things about these pilate machines and I can't wait to incorporate this into my workout.

Another weekend highlight was going to Escape Day Spa with Jen. This was actually our Christmas celebration...that's right...nothing like celebrating Christmas on January 31st. Jen enjoyed the hot stone massage and I enjoyed the aromatherapy massage. I may not be the most "touchy-feely" person but I do enjoy a good massage! From there we had a delicious lunch at California Pizza Kitchen and then got our new shoes from Fleet Feet Sports. We got home around 4pm...the perfect time to take a late afternoon nap. I also very much enjoyed seeing blue skies and sunshine and temperatures above 50 degrees this weekend. After church and lunch on Sunday, Crazy Amy and I grabbed a book and headed to Arrington Vineyards. It was so nice to sit outside on their deck, enjoy a glass of wine and read. We closed the place down!