2.0.1.1...2.0.1.2

Well blog world, another year has come and gone. It is hard to believe 2012 is upon us and that we are closing the doors to 2011. I'm sure everyone has their fair share of both good and bad memories from the year...but for now, the memories are all we are left with. Personally, 2011 was a really good year. I didn't have any life altering moments...still no sparkly ring on my left hand, didn't have a baby, didn't move, no job changes (well, there was almost one)...but I am left with plenty of moments and memories that have helped me to change and become a better and in some respects, a different, person. 

I could get all sappy and emotional, but I won't. I had some great experiences this year and some that were not so great...but they all made an impact on me. The M. Joy who is ringing in 2012 is not the same M. Joy who rung (that doesn't sound right but whatever) in 2011. I have changed...I am changed...I want to continue to change...and somewhere along the path of 2011, I hope I changed someone for the better. 

There were tears of sadness and joy...endless smiles...countless bouts of laughter...numerous conversations (and a few drunk nights) over margaritas, wine, and even beer...late nights of texting and skype...an ER visit...a visit from the ambulance (unfortunately, not related to the ER visit...they happened 6 months apart)...too many trips to Atlanta to count...finding a new church and an incredible small group...the birth of a new "niece"...the growing of an incredible friendship...hours spent taking my frustrations out on the piano...and time getting lost in a new book...like I did last night...and the beginnings of new relationships and the rebirths of old ones. 

So friends, as we open the door to 2012...may we learn from the mistakes we or even those around us made in 2011...may we remember to always look for the good in people and life even when it is hard to see...may we jump at opportunities when they come...may we see ourselves as everyone around sees us...may we learn to listen to our hearts and minds when we need to...may we take chances and risks for they often lead to unimaginable greatness...and may 2012 be our best year yet!

I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be incredible...

Happy New Years, my friends!! 

:waiting:

. . .I've been waiting for so long. . .

. . .For something to arrive. . .

. . .True love to come along. . .

It's hard to wait around for something you know might never happen;

but it's even harder to give up when you know it's everything you want.

~Author Unknown

So. true.

Thanksgiving Top Ten

Happy Thanksgiving ! !

     As Thanksgiving draws to a close, I'm sure  we have all thought about what we are thankful for this year. Instead of saying a traditional Thanksgiving blessing, each person in my family had to say what they were thankful for. By the time we got to my dad, we all had tears in our eyes. It was a really sweet family moment that I will remember for a long time.

     In typical M. Joy fashion, here's a top ten list of what I'm thankful for besides family and friends...because well, they're kind of obvious!

     1. Diet Coke

     2. George and Tucker

     3. Buckhead Church

     4. Great health insurance

     5. My incredible small group
     6. Casts and bionic arms (at least it's not surgery)
     7. Glee
     8. Living in America
     9. Girls' Nights
   10. Decorating for Christmas! 
Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving and had their fill of turkey and stuffing!

F.a.l.l.i.n.g. B.e.h.i.n.d.

I look good with a baby in my arms...
I think I need to work on having one...

So I'd love to say that my life has been so incredibly filled with events and stuff and that's why I haven't blogged in a month...but really, I just haven't had too much to say. A few exciting things have happened though.  In the wee hours of October 21, my dear friend Amanda gave birth to her precious baby girl, Penelope Jane...who is my unofficial niece! I've gotten lots of baby snuggles so far and know that there will be plenty more in the future! I also got a new car!! Woo-hoo for leasing which means new wheels every few years. I had my heart set on a Honda CRV...but after a less than stellar experience at Honda mall of GA, I drove across the street to Toyota Mall of GA and quickly fell in love with a 2012 Highlander. After getting my brother to look over

the numbers and giving me a thumbs-up, I turned over the    keys to my Camry and gladly took the keys to the Highlander (of course I had to sign a ridiculous amount of paperwork in the process). I love having an SUV again...and George loves having the back to himself! One random note...while I was doing the financing, I learned what my credit score was and even I was surprised at how high it was! Here's to not living beyond my means and being debt-free...except for my house and car! I'm so glad I worked my tail off during grad school and didn't take out any loans...I am definitely able to enjoy the financial benefits now!

On a not-so-exciting note, I fell and landed on my wrists. I don't have a cool story to tell...I was texting and walking...walked into a curb...my bottom half stopped...and my top half flew forward and in an effort to avoid crashing my face into the concrete, I instinctively threw me hands out to catch me. I have since learned that when you fall, you are supposed to fall on your side and land on your shoulder. Thank you, Dr. A for that piece of advice...too bad it came 2 weeks after the fall! I finally went to see Dr. A last week because my right wrist had been hurting in some very specific ways...ways my left wrist hurt before surgery. After x-rays of both wrists and some poking and prodding on the right wrist (and a brief rant about the show Toddlers and Tiaras), Dr. A said that I have messed up the TFC on my right wrist. His first thought was to put me in a cast from my hand all the way to up to the top of my arm with my elbow bent. Thankfully JH was there and suggested doing a splint instead so that I would be able to bend my elbow.  Dr. A approved so I am now in bionic arm #2 for 6 weeks. The goal of the splint is to make my wrist and forearm immobile so that the TFC can heal...without surgery. My wrist has felt pretty good this last week in the splint...until today and it has hurt like a mother most of the day. Hoping ice, advil, and rest will make it better. 

Well, that's all for now. It's Tech's Thursday night game against Va Tech so I'm off to cheer for my Jackets!!

13.1 Recap

Atlanta 13.1 = D.O.N.E!!!!

     I can proudly say that I finished my 2nd half marathon! I was a little worried about this one because there was a time limit and I was going to be doing it alone. I can usually handle 5-6 miles alone...but 13.1 is a l.o.n.g. way to go with just me and my mind! 

     At the start line, Kat, my friend who was also doing the half, and I met 2 really nice girls. One of them saw our interval timers and was asking where we got our pink ones. We all talked about what they were set to and then, before we knew it, the race was off. We all wished each other good luck and we all set out on our own pace. 

     I knocked out the first 6 miles pretty quickly...well, if you don't count the 3, yes, 3 potty pit stops I had to make. At that point, we were back on Peachtree Street. I had just made my 3rd pit stop and was getting back on the course when I ran into the 2 girls from the start line! I knew the 2nd half of the course was going to be more challenging for me, well, more from a mental side, so I was very happy to see them. We started talking, walking, running, and talking....and we actually did the rest of the race together. It's just amazing that God always provides just what you need!

     I was worried about the pace team catching us and making us either get on the sag wagon...and they did finally catch us around mile 10...but they were wonderful!! It was a group of about 10 ladies and they were so encouraging. We walked with them for about half a mile and then they took off to keep up with the pace. One of the ladies assured us that we would get our medals when we finished. 

     We pounded out the last few miles and finished!! My official time was 3:39:59...which is about 14 minutes faster than my 1st half...and that was with 3 pit stops of about 2 min each!! I am pretty pleased with my time and can't wait to conquer then next half in March!!

Soooo happy to be finished!

Kat and I proudly showing off our medals!

     

Panic Mode

Ready or not....here comes the Atlanta 13.1!

The Atlanta 13.1 half-marathon is a mere 5 days away and I have officially hit panic mode! I know I can finish the 13.1 miles...just worried about finishing in the allowed time of 3 hours &30 minutes. I will be totally and completely humiliated and embarrassed if I have to board the "sag wagon" (come on, couldn't they come up with a better name) because I can't keep up with the back-of-the-pack pace team. I know I am more prepared for this half than with my first one in March, but there wasn't a time limit on that one. It took me 3 hours, 53 min, and 17 seconds to do the one in March and I have to be able to complete this one in 3 hours and 30 min.,..that's shaving almost 2 min off each mile! I know I've gotten some faster, but I don't know if I've gotten that much faster!

So...to help keep me positive and encouraged...here's my list of all the reasons I am going to knock this half-marathon out..meaning, I'm going to finish (and still be alive) in the allotted time. ...

-I've already done a half so I know what to expect.

-I've trained so much more for this one. 

-I'll have some magic sports beans with me!

-There is a pace team I can walk with.

-And...because I rock!!!

Just going to keep the little engine that could in mind....

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Anything Goes

Just a short post tonight...but just for the record...this chick will be making a trip to visit the bright lights of NYC before April 29, 2012 to see Anything Goes on Broadway and to visit my dear friend, RM. Anything Goes is the musical we did my senior year in high school and I did the piano accompaniment for it. I LOVE this musical...and I will be seeing it on Broadway..mark my word! Want more info...click here!

  

.c.r.t.

Completely Random Thoughts...

• I felt very frumpy today...khaki capris and a cardigan...not the best outfit for feeling spectacular in.
• How come I always seem to read books that have characters that are so much like me that it's like looking in the mirror?
• The Help was incredible. Book. Movie. All of it. Flat out incredible.
• Why won't he just call me? I'm getting a little frustrated by his lack of forward motion.
• But....I do like when we text.
• I'm feeling a bit better about the half-marathon that is in 4 weeks. After yesterday's 10K I was pretty discouraged. But I've picked myself up, dusted myself off, and know that I can do it in the allotted time.
• I love being busy...but at the same time, I'm ready for life to slow down. I feel like I have been on auto-pilot for the past few weeks.
• I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the past 3 hours...snuggled on the couch under a blanket completely engrossed in a great book with George sacked out beside me.
• I am so hoping the weather stays cool..or at least cooler than 90 degrees everyday.

That's it for today....dinner is calling! Well it's really not calling...the microwave is beeping telling me the leftover pizza is now at an appropriate temperate to consume. 

Calm after the storm

As Hurricane Irene blasted through the NE this weekend, I'm not completely convinced that she    wasn't involved with my crazy-busy week last week. On a random side note, does anyone else find it funny that we refer to hurricanes with the correct pronoun (he or she) based on its name? Anyways, I had a super busy week and it has seemed to just creep right into the weekend. It's Sunday evening and this is just about the first time in 7 days that I have been able to sit and relax on my couch for longer than 4 minutes. Don't get me wrong, for the most part it was a good week. Dinner and a movie with a friend, another dinner with a friend, and then yet another dinner with friends...curriculum night (not so fun), small group Group Link at Northpoint (which I had to do again on Friday night in Buckhead...long story for another post), doctor's appt (yuck!), and etc. The highlight of the week was spending Friday afternoon with JHart/DJLicious looking at wedding dresses...not trying them on...just getting some ideas....and then ending the afternoon/evening together with a trip to Tin Lizzy's! Saturday brought sleeping in a bit, a quick trip to the gym, time at Egleston, and dinner with Amanda and Chris...and Sunday was just as busy...no day of rest around here...drove to my favorite college mountain town, Dahlonega...met 2 sisters for lunch, EC meeting, and then hopped on 400 south and cruised into Buckhead for church at 6. Whew..I'm tired just thinking about how crazy the last 7 days have been.

Hoping this week is much calmer...a few things on the calendar....hair appt, first small group meeting, need to get my nails done....and need to hit the pavement in a major way. Here's to another week....

:never.alone:

Found this song on Pandora last weekend and I love it. Simple melody...expressive words...great message. Now, if I would only just take the message to heart and know that even when it feels like I'm out on this adventure called life by myself that I'm never really alone.

{-Controlled Chaos-}

No worries blog-world...I'm still here. Just been busy...and bored...and honestly, haven't had anything happen over the last 3 weeks that really seemed worthy of writing about. School started just over 2 weeks ago so life has done a complete 180. I'm glad to have a schedule...just not ready for the stress. The last few weeks have been pretty much controlled chaos...getting back into the swing of things...having to wake up at 5:30am...being incredibly sleepy because I'm not going to bed at a decent time...trying to balance school with my non-school life (yes, I do have one.) Anyway, without further ado, here is the run down of the last few weeks. 

• Have been training for my 2nd half-marathon which is six and a half weeks away. I have been following a 10 week training plan that was in Runner's World magazine in July. I have stayed on track and have only missed one three mile walk/run. This past weekend I did almost 16 hours in a 3 day period...really it was all in just about 48 hours.

• Spent last Wed and Thurs afternoons at the doctor. The cardiologist to be more exact. I had an episode where I passed out this summer very unexpectedly. One minute I was fine and the next minute I was on the floor being told that 911 had been called. Went to my regular doc who did an EKG and a bunch of labwork and everything was normal so he referred me to a cardiologist. I wore a 24 hour EKG heart monitor on Wednesday and then on Thursday, I had an echocardiogram, which is just a fancy ultrasound on the heart. Still waiting to hear the results on those tests. The nurse also said something about doing a tilt-table test which from what I can tell is a way to see how your body responds when your blood pressure drops. I'm adopting the mantra that "no news is good news" until I hear otherwise! Oh, and I have to have more blood work done Thursday morning...you want to talk about passing out...ugh!

• Been struggling with a decision the last few weeks and on Sunday in church, God spoke loud and clear! Love when I distinctly hear His voice and I know what His plan is, at least in 1 area of my life. Decision made = complete peace.

• School is back in session. Learning to accept the fact that things are a changing...and I'm not so sure they are changing for the better. Patience, tolerance, and staying under the radar is the new way of life at school. And my feet hurt.

• Did a wedding two weekends ago. And by did, I mean I did the cupcakes for the wedding cake and the groom's cake. It was a lot to take on the weekend between preplanning and the first week of school, but everything turned out well. I forgot my camera so I had to take pictures on my phone. When I get around to it, I'll e-mail them to myself and post them.

Well, that's all for now. I promise I'll write more when something exciting happens. I'm off to the gym...the plan for today is an easy 3 miles...think I can handle that!

Look at me...

Just a continuation from yesterday's post...

Look at me, there has to be,
Something more than what they see,

Wholesome and pure, 
Oh so scared and unsure, a pawn then, 
Sandra Dee.

Sandy, you must start anew, 
Don't you know what you must do,
Hold your head high, 
Take a deep breath and sigh 
Goodbye to Sandra Dee...

wide. open. spaces.

Randomly heard this song today when my iPod was on shuffle.  Such a great song and it definitely brings back lots of memories from college, both good and bad. But...today, the song helped me vocalize what I've been feeling lately. I've done a lot of "growing" this past year...not necessarily growing up because, honestly, I think I have that one mastered...but just growing in a general sense. Learning more about myself, what I want in life, who I want to become, where I want to go, and who I want to surround myself with. A friend once told me I needed more people around me who would challenge me...and apparently, a little challenging is just what I needed because now I crave my own wide open space! During this past weekend to Tybee, i got to see an M. Joy that I (and the rest of you) don't get to see too often...she's carefree, spontaneous, daring, she lets her hair down, and just enjoys life without all the stresses and crap that come with reality. I miss her...and wishes she would make an appearance more often. i think that's part of the reason I was so emotional about coming home. it meant putting that M. Joy away and bringing back the other M. Joy...the one who is classy, responsible, always doing the right thing, teacher/librarian, cardigan wearing, and ultra-conservative. Anyways, this song just kind of puts it all into words!  ~enjoy~

Beach Blues

 Love vacations...hate coming home from them. 

How does the song go?

"back to life, back to reality,

back to the here and now...

back to life, back to the present time,

back from a fantasy...

back to life, back to the day we have..."

by EnVogue

Something about having to leave behind the freedom of the weekend makes me sad.

I said today that I wish I could be the person I was this weekend* more often...

and I am going to try to be.

Coming home also means that summer is almost over. 

I teared up a few times on the way home...and as I took DJLicious* and Pink Hotness* home....and when I came home...and as I unpacked...you get the drift.

My mind was racing about a lot of things* and I decided a cold one would help me relax and hopefully slow down the thoughts in my mind...

so I cracked open a Woodchuck and let the amber cider drown my thoughts.

We had an amazing trip...no real drama...just a good old-fashioned girls' trip to the beach!

So, while I may have the beach blues tonight...

I know that this trip brought 3 incredibly lucky girls closer together...

it strengthened our friendships and gave us many memories...

and I can't wait to do it again...

and knowing that makes the tears and beach blues totally worth it. 

I'm sure that after I get a full night's sleep (more than 4 hours) that I will be just fine...

and if not I'm not fine, I definitely know I have 2 friends I can count on.

I promise I will blog more about the beach adventures later this week...

I need to recover first!

*Sorry...but what happens on Tybee...stays on Tybee!

SsSsSsSsSs......

Snake Saga

I'll spare you all the details..but I came home on Sunday night around 8:40 after celebrating my brother's birthday at my parents' house...and a snake was waiting to welcome me into the garage. Before I go any further, let me preface this whole thing by saying I don't do snakes...at all....not even a bit. I am absolutely terrified, petrified, and just plain scared of them. Nonvenomous, venomous, big, little, dead (the best kind in my book), alive, even the ones that supposedly help us by getting rid of bugs and other annoying critters...I just don't like them. I personally think Adam and Even should have done us all a favor in the Garden of Eden and should have killed the snake right then and there...that would have solved this whole snake problem and then...the snake saga on Sunday night would not have every happened1

But I digress... I came home to a snake wrapped around part of my garage door track where it is braced to the ceiling. I did what any reasonable girl would do....I screamed! Actually...I didn't scream....I sat in my car frozen in fear...and then I called my brother and dad to come over and help.

The ordeal lasted about 3 hours when they (really just my dad although my brother is claiming responsibility) finally got the snake off the garage door track, unstuck from between the garage door and the edge, and off the back of the garage door (this particular snake must love roller coasters because he sure did seem to enjoy riding on the back of the garage door as we made it go up and down in an effort to get him off). He finally fell to the ground in the garage....my dad used the shovel (which had previously been used to try and chop the sucker's head off..obviously it didn't work) to shove him out of the garage, and my brother shut the garage door. He apparently slithered off into the grass and I hope he either slithered all the way to China (a little far-fetched I know)..but really I hope he just died somewhere along the way!

5 Things I Learned During Snake Saga 2011

1. Gwinnett County Animal Control is UESLESS!!!

   They would not come out to help because the snake was not in a livable

    part of my house. Even when I called to tell them that it was not a

    black snake (like we originally thought) and was over 4 feet long. 

    Nothing!! I may be writing a letter about this!

2. None of the venomous snakes in Georgia can climb like this guy did. So...

   if you see a snake in a high up place...don't worry...it'ds not venomous.      

   But like I said earlier...I don't do any kind of snakes...I don't care

   where it is!

3. It is illegal to kill any nonvenomous snake in Georgia. I say that is..........

   Ridiculous!!! If the snake is on my property, I should be able to 

   whatever I damn well please to him!

4. Don't count on being able to get any animal/wildlife removal experts to 

   come out past 4 pm on Friday...they all live out in woods/sticks and

   you then have to pay a hefty fee for them to come back to civilization!

5. Again just to reiterate...Gwinnett County Animal Control is useless!

How I found the snake...
hanging down from my garage door track

The snake stuck in the closed garage door...
and he was still alive and kicking!

Random Thought...

We have a tendency to think we know what we want, what (or who) we are looking for, and what's best for us. 

But...at the end of the day, we really don't have a clue!

So glad the big man upstairs knows what I need, 

knows what's best for me, and is willing to make sure I get those exact things! 

Girls' Night Out...

So excited about tonight...having some incredible friends over for    a little Girls' Night Out (or In, as the case may be)! I made a little frozen pineapple rum punch (it's delish) and there may or may not be some jell-o in little plastic cups in my fridge...you can let the cherry smell that's hit you when you open the fridge help you to decide which way to go with that!

Just ready to relax, spend some time with some great friends, and have fun...oh yeah...and not have to worry about driving!!

Look for a GNO recap in the next few days....

One year later....

One year ago today, I had surgery #3 on my left wrist...and was doped up on Vicodin and pretty much out of it I went into surgery thinking it was going to be a relatively easy surgery...just like the first 2 had been...Dr. A was going to remove a cyst and then look around the joint and clean anything up that needed it. Since my MRI didn't show that I had torn anything...I wasn't even remotely thinking about that possibility. While I was in pre-op, Dr. A came to talk to my mom and me...and on a side note, when he left my mom asked how old he was and if he was even old enough to be doing the surgery...and the nurse said that they actually hear that a lot because he looks so young!! Anyways...Dr. A came in to talk to us and I had a few questions for him. I asked how long surgery would take and he said about an hour...as long as he didn't find any surprises...like a torn TFCC. I also asked about the splint and he told me that I would know what he had done by what my splint looked like. If it wasn't too big and I was able to straighten my elbow, then everything had gone according to plan and nothing was torn...but...if it was a bigger splint that went above my elbow and I wasn't able to straighten my arm, then I would know that something was torn and he had repaired it. When I woke up in the first part of recovery where they let you begin to wake up from the anesthesia, I remember waking up and asking the nurse two questions. I asked her what time it was and she said 10:12. My surgery had started at 8 so I knew that it had taken longer than planned...I then asked the other dreaded question.."what did he do?" She just replied, "sweetie, look at your arm." I remember lifting my arm and seeing the splint/bandage and realizing that I could not straighten my arm. I put that together with the fact that surgery had taken twice as long as planned and I knew something must have been torn. And it was...my TFCC (if you have no idea what that is, then click here and then click TFCC Tear on the left side)..we have no clue how or when I tore it...thinking maybe it had something to do with the cyst that was on my wrist and pushing things around. 

So after many doctor's appointments, many hours in hand therapy, a bionic arm, a half-bionic arm, a 2nd surgery to deal with a stitch and nerve issue, and 2 new amazing friends later...here we are at the one year mark. And what did I do to celebrate you ask?!? I spent my morning with my amazing friends at the hand clinic....getting a new (insert your choice of curse words here) splint made! I somehow have made my ulnar nerve very unhappy at my elbow and it has been making it feel like I whacked my funny bone for hours at a time, making my little finger and ring finger go numb, and  making my lose some of the sensation on the back of my hand again. One thing that makes it worse is to sleep with your elbows bent. And how do i sleep? Well, of course, I sleep with my arms bent all the way! I have tried (really, I have) to sleep with my left arm straight and it just isn't working. I have tried ace wrapping towels to my arm so I can't bend them...tried laying it on pillows...and it's just not working. So in an effort to not have to have crazy nerve testing done (which I have a feeling my friends would get a huge thrill out of shocking me) and not to have to wind up with elbow surgery, my friend (well, she's my OT, too) made a splint for me to sleep in. I haven't slept with it yet...but I can already tell you it's going to s.u.c.k!!  She said I'd probably be ready to cuss at her...we'll see....but I'll do anything not to have to go through elbow surgery. I think my poor left arm/wrist/hand has had its fair share of surgery!

A year of splints in pictures...

Bandage/splint from surgery #3...July 2010

The rest of the bandage/splint

Bionic Arm

Half-Bionic Arm

Bandage/splint from surgery #4...Feb 2011

New elbow splint....need to find a name for it.
Amanda suggested ET since it looks like an elephant's trunk!

PRR Recap

Three Things I Really Didn’t Like About the PRR

-The completely insane walk back to MARTA…that part of the race should be called the MARTA 2K!

-The heat…the hills…the humidity. Enough said!

-Spending 45 minutes trying to find my car at the Lindbergh MARTA station after the race. Story below...

Three Things I Loved About the PRR

-The patients from the Sheppard Center cheering for you on Cardiac Hill…it’s so inspiring!

-The first 3 miles being downhill!

-Running into a childhood friend that I haven’t seen in years! Story below...

So...this year I decided to park at the Lindbergh MARTA station instead of at Avondale simply because it meant I was only 1 stop away from the Lenox Station instead of about 10 stops away and I knew it would take less time. I parked in the parking garage, got on the train (which was almost empty which never happens the morning of the PRR), got off at Lenox...and went on my merry little way to my starting coral for the race. After the race and the freaking insane UPHILL walk to the closest MARTA station to Piedmont Park which is the Midtown Station, I thought I was just going to hop on the train and go north one stop, get off, get in my car, and go home. Well...that's not what happened. When I got to the midtown station, they were using the buses to shuttle us to the Lindbergh Station..so I hopped on the bus and off we went. When we got to the Lindbergh Station, they dropped us off (I still haven't figured out where they dropped us off) and I immediately knew that I didn't know where I was. I followed the crowd and things started to look familiar...I saw the train platform and saw a parking deck...and then another one...and then another one...and so on! After going through 3 different parking decks and not finding my car, I decided I needed to retrace my path from the morning....so I walked up to Piedmont Avenue to get my bearings straight and finally figured out which parking deck I was in. I knew what level I had parked on but for the life of me, I could not figure out how to get to that level...there were gates down, the doors to the stairs were locked, etc. I was using my little key thing and could hear my car when I unlocked the doors, I just couldn't see it. Anyways...about 45 minutes after I got off the shuttle bus, I finally found my car...don't think I have ever been so happy to see my little Camry!

Now here is the fun story...every year I have done the PRR, I have run into someone I know...someone from school, an old neighbor...but nothing, and I mean, nothing could prepare me for this year's surprise run-in. It was before the race and I was walking to my starting coral just minding my own business and taking everything in. There were people everywhere, helicopters swarming overhead, and just an excited feeling in the air. As I was walking, I noticed this guy from behind me start walking towards me kind of quickly. The next thing I know, I hear him say "Melissa H- - - - -"...and then I instantly knew who it was...it was the guy who lived next door to my grandparents when we were growing up! I said, "oh my gosh...Chip!" We hugged and stood there and talked for a few minutes and then both realized we had to go to just about the same place to so we kept walking towards the starting corals together. We had the best time catching up with each other. We figured that we hadn't seen each other since my Nannie's funeral and even then, it was only for a moment or 2. It was a total surprise because neither of us knew that the other was a runner/walker. We probably talked for about 40 minutes and then we each headed to our start location. It was just such a nice surprise to run in to him!!

~ facts of life ~

~ facts of life ~

~Life isn’t fair. Ever.

~The grass is always greener on the other side.

~Women won’t ever fully understand men…and…

~Men won’t ever fully understand women.

~Timing is everything.

~Laughter from children is one of God’s best gifts.

~You always feel better after you work-out.

~Singing makes the work a happier place.

~A handful of M&M’s can help you make it through a rough day.

~Sometimes life just calls for a glass of wine.