The Blogging Project - Day Ten

Okay, so this post is supposed to be about a photo of me that was taken over 10 years ago...however I don't have one! Oh, maybe on FB someone has tagged a pic of me from a long time ago. I mean, 10 year...I would have been 27...there WERE digital pics back then. Where are they all? So here is what I came up with:

This is me, my senior year of HS and I'm with my a'capella group that we named Octapella...so smart we were. I'm the one sitting next to the teacher. I was 17 and thought I was fat and I would KILL for those legs now!

I was a 'goody goody' kid in high school, I didn't drink, didn't do drugs, hadn't had sex. The furthest I had gone with a boy was french kissing and some feeling up over the clothes. I dressed in clothes that would hide my body. Being a curvy size 4-6 I was embarrassed about my body, I couldn't wear junior sized clothing because of my hips and bust, so my clothes were from Casual Corner. Yep, hip as can be....if you are a 27-35 year old professional....haha.

I don't know what I would tell that girl in this picture. Maybe nothing at all. She ran far, far away from home to get away from everything. The competition she felt with her friends, the repression she felt with her mother, the sense that there was always someone watching and judging... She made her way and became her own person. She discovered that she could be funny and witty. She made a lot of friends, hurt some people along the way (herself included), but in the end came out looking pretty good.

Some days I wonder if I'm still running away. From what now, I have no idea. Maybe distance is something I need to see the world clearly. Or maybe I'm just full of sh*t. My eyes are brown after all. Well, until Day Eleven...peace out kids!

The Blogging Project - Day Nine

A Photo I Took

I guess this is supposed to revolve around a photo I took. Hmmm, should I pick a person photo, the pups, a nature scene? Let me go through my photos really quick and pick something that I can talk about. Oh, here we go, my dad.

My dad is the best, ask anyone who knows him and they'll agree with me. This is all he needs to make him happy - his Broncos cap, a t-shirt, and a beer...although I believe at this point he was drinking water. My father had a rough upbringing, although if you ask him about it he'll tell you stories and just chuckle at the outcome. He was raised by my alcoholic grandmother and was in and out of the foster care system until my grandmother decided to sign him up for the Army at age 17. I thank my lucky stars that this actually happened. I think the Army saved my dad and his future.

My dad hardly ever complains. He was my grandfather's caretaker until the end, and sure, there were times when he was frustrated beyond belief, but he still did it. Married to my mom for 38 years a quite a feat in itself. (Don't get me wrong, I love my mother, but she's a hard woman to live with!) He worked his fingers to the bone to provide for his family, always picking the third shift because it paid more. He was the one that would tell me that he was proud of me, he even wrote me a letter when I went to college. Trying to keep the peace in my family is difficult, that was my job as a youngster and his job now that he's retired.

We have a special bond, I am his little girl, his 'Pumpkin', and I get him. If I can be just a tiny bit like my dad then I think I'll have accomplished something in life. That means that I grew up to be a kind, caring, hard working person that takes nothing for granted and sees the humor and greatness in all events that life gives us. My dad, my hero.

The Blogging Project - Day Eight

A Photo That Makes Me Angry/Sad

Well huh...I don't know that I've ever taken a photo that makes me angry or sad, and if someone took one of me I'd probably delete it. Let me see what I can come up with... So, I was just looking through my pictures and the ones that make me sad are the ones where I'm out of shape and I look 'fat' in my opinion. But, I've come so far from that person that I really don't want to post it...or bring up those feelings of inadequacy. I could get all political an show you pictures of things that disgust me. But really, that's not what my blog is about. I'll have to settle for this:

Why does this make me sad/angry? Because this young girl didn't have parents that looked after her best interest. She had greedy parents who gave into her whim to become famous, and famous she became and then self-destructed. Yes, she made some bad choices, but her parents were supposed to protect her from herself at a young age and give her the foundation, the boundaries, the moral compass...I can go on and on. I'm not a parent so most people don't take me seriously when I get on a soap box about parenting. Understandable, but this is just common sense. It really angers me when parents take the easy road. You really should have to take a test, get a license...SOMETHING...to become a parent. It's okay if your kids don't like you for putting rules in place! I really disliked my mom for a LONG time, but now I cherish her and understand why she did what she did. Okay, off the soap box...

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In training news:

I got new cycling shoes. They run about $200 (I know, expensive - but they last for 10-15 years) for the medium pair. With my discount it was going to end up being $150. Well...I went in again yesterday (I had gone in on Thursday as well to look and try on since it's such a big investment) and talked more to the guy there. The lady on Thursday recommended the Mtn biking shoes b/c of my pedals (all pedals are specific to the cleat/clip on the shoe.) If I got the Mtn bike shoes I wouldn't have to change my pedals, BUT it would limit my pedal choices in the future.

The pedals that I have are pretty beginner, the same kind of clips that are on spin bikes. SO, after talking to the guy in the store yesterday he recommended the top line shoe and changing out my pedals since I've been riding for 6 years and I could be more efficient and have more power with new pedals. When I put on the uber expensive shoe it was like heaven. We looked at the pedals as well and he recommended a mid-line pedal of a better brand (which happens to be a brand that Trainer really loves and started with) and I added it all up in my head and I told him I needed to go talk it over with the husband since it was a BIG purchase.

Went home and talked to T about it over lunch and he agreed that if I'm going to make the investment it should be in the better shoes and I should really have new pedals anyway, since new bikes don't come with pedals I can just transfer them, one less expense when we make THAT purchase! Went back to the store, the guy looked at me with his eyebrows raised (as in, 'we're a go?'), I nodded my head and now I have lovely SIDI shoes (hand-stitched Italian leather, made BY Italian people) and LOOK pedals. T's mom sent me money to buy new clothes (athletic of course) so I just used that and the rest was out of our pocket...which ended up being the original $150 that I thought!

The knee? Did the Zilker relays last night, it went okay, the knee hurts like a bitch this morning, but overall not a bad performance. I went a LOT faster than I thought I could...so naturally both Trainer and think the course is a short 2.5 miles. Right now? Going to get ready, put on those shoes that make my heart sing and go for a short 25-30 mile ride. LOVE!