I know I talk about how important being creative is to me - and the importance of finding some time for creativity in my crazy world - and I had to share a little about an artist I truly enjoy.
Jackson Pollock is an American artist who best known for his "drip" paintings (that's my unartistic explanation). Pollock started laying large canvases down on the floor of his barn and positioned himself above the canvas and began to "drip" paint down onto it - creating beautiful art that some call chaotic and I call creative.
The Getty Center in LA used to have an original Pollock while I was in grad school. I loved sitting in front of it for hours thinking about the lines of the paint and creating images out of them (kind of like laying on your back and finding dogs and ice cream cones in the clouds). Pollock's paintings are mezmerizing.
Anyway, I found this wonderful, inspiring website that will come up as a blank screen - until you start moving your mouse around. You can change your "paint" color by clicking down on your mouse! What a fun way to put some creativity into your day (great stress relief too!!) Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
If My Head Didn't Fell Like It Were About To Explode
So this is officially week two of marathon training. Week one went swimmingly - I got lots of runs in and lifted, and swam - I felt awesome, and totally ready to conquer!
However, yesterday morning I drug myself to the Y and since it was raining (seriously it can stop doing that NOW. Thanks.) I hopped on a treadmill set to do 6 miles. Yeah...not so much. About a quarter mile in I was HOT - not like in the everyday, Jen's really hot way, but I was SWEATING - already. This was not going to be good. It seemed like it took an hour to get one mile in (in reality it took 9:30 - details).
And then around mile 2 my head started to pound, and not from the Pink Bus tunes I was jamming to. This was not a good pound...and then there around 2 1/4 miles my face started to feel like it was going to explode. I told myself I only had to do 3 miles since I was dying and all, and it was amazing I even made it to that.
Holy cow - I can't explain the pain I was in - ALL DAY yesterday. I really feel for the people who constantly suffer from allergies, and while I have my share of sinus infections, I have certainly not ever felt as bad as I did yesterday (ok, I may be exaggerating a LITTLE here, but I can assure you, it was awful).
So, I started taking my generic sudafed (Wal-phed in fact. Who names those things anyway?) in case it was allergies (and this is the REAL stuff, the kind you have to use your driver's license to get) and I managed to (barely) make it through my day.
And since I really can't afford to be sick right now (I have too much to do, don't my sinuses understand I have a MARATHON to train for??!) I went to Urgent Care this morning only to be told that it's a "viral" thing and to keep taking the sudafed and maybe some ibuprofen for the pain. Awesome. Thanks.
Today is MUCH better though, I'm currently managing to stay awake at work (something that was undoable yesterday) and my face only feels like exploding a little. So, here's to sudafed, ibuprofen, and gallons of water and tea - - and to busting out some miles tonight.
However, yesterday morning I drug myself to the Y and since it was raining (seriously it can stop doing that NOW. Thanks.) I hopped on a treadmill set to do 6 miles. Yeah...not so much. About a quarter mile in I was HOT - not like in the everyday, Jen's really hot way, but I was SWEATING - already. This was not going to be good. It seemed like it took an hour to get one mile in (in reality it took 9:30 - details).
And then around mile 2 my head started to pound, and not from the Pink Bus tunes I was jamming to. This was not a good pound...and then there around 2 1/4 miles my face started to feel like it was going to explode. I told myself I only had to do 3 miles since I was dying and all, and it was amazing I even made it to that.
Holy cow - I can't explain the pain I was in - ALL DAY yesterday. I really feel for the people who constantly suffer from allergies, and while I have my share of sinus infections, I have certainly not ever felt as bad as I did yesterday (ok, I may be exaggerating a LITTLE here, but I can assure you, it was awful).
So, I started taking my generic sudafed (Wal-phed in fact. Who names those things anyway?) in case it was allergies (and this is the REAL stuff, the kind you have to use your driver's license to get) and I managed to (barely) make it through my day.
And since I really can't afford to be sick right now (I have too much to do, don't my sinuses understand I have a MARATHON to train for??!) I went to Urgent Care this morning only to be told that it's a "viral" thing and to keep taking the sudafed and maybe some ibuprofen for the pain. Awesome. Thanks.
Today is MUCH better though, I'm currently managing to stay awake at work (something that was undoable yesterday) and my face only feels like exploding a little. So, here's to sudafed, ibuprofen, and gallons of water and tea - - and to busting out some miles tonight.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
So You Want to Run a Marathon?
Yep, I'm going to run a marathon. On September 28th I will be in Moline, IL running 26.2 miles in the Quad Cities. If I don't die training first!
It's funny to think that I would want to run a marathon - let alone be able to do it - but I do and I can and I am able!
What's even more funny is that I don't think it's going to be the running that kills me, I think it's going to be knowing when to drink water and when to shove one of those nasty gel packs down my throat and when to eat a power bar and when to drink gatorade - that part is where I'm going to die. Who knew it would all be so complicated, just let me go out there and run 26.2 miles!
So, if anyone has suggestions on the gatorade/water ratio or anything else, throw 'em my way! This is all a new world to me, one that I love, so I don't want to die, thanks.
Officially I start my 16 week training program tomorrow, June 2nd (hello June, where have you been all my life) - Sundays are supposed to be a long run day, but today I'm taking it slow and if I'm up for a few miles in a little while I'm going to do them, if not, I'll rest and get ready for my 5 miles tomorrow morning at 5 am!
In other news, SATC was AMAZING. It's one of those movies that you walk out of feeling all warm inside and you can't wait until it comes out on DVD so you can buy it and watch it over and over again! I laughed, I cried, I sighed out loud...it was wonderful! The best part was that all 14 of my girlfriends and I got to sit together, in the best seats of the theather (the ones on the slanted level that are like 3 rows up and right in the middle) - we literally ran to get these seats and took some heat for having to hold some but in the end we were all together for a drama packed 2 1/2 hours of fun!
Here's to hoping SATC is out by September 29th because it would be a perfect thing to have on repeat as I lay in my recliner recovering from the marathon!
It's funny to think that I would want to run a marathon - let alone be able to do it - but I do and I can and I am able!
What's even more funny is that I don't think it's going to be the running that kills me, I think it's going to be knowing when to drink water and when to shove one of those nasty gel packs down my throat and when to eat a power bar and when to drink gatorade - that part is where I'm going to die. Who knew it would all be so complicated, just let me go out there and run 26.2 miles!
So, if anyone has suggestions on the gatorade/water ratio or anything else, throw 'em my way! This is all a new world to me, one that I love, so I don't want to die, thanks.
Officially I start my 16 week training program tomorrow, June 2nd (hello June, where have you been all my life) - Sundays are supposed to be a long run day, but today I'm taking it slow and if I'm up for a few miles in a little while I'm going to do them, if not, I'll rest and get ready for my 5 miles tomorrow morning at 5 am!
In other news, SATC was AMAZING. It's one of those movies that you walk out of feeling all warm inside and you can't wait until it comes out on DVD so you can buy it and watch it over and over again! I laughed, I cried, I sighed out loud...it was wonderful! The best part was that all 14 of my girlfriends and I got to sit together, in the best seats of the theather (the ones on the slanted level that are like 3 rows up and right in the middle) - we literally ran to get these seats and took some heat for having to hold some but in the end we were all together for a drama packed 2 1/2 hours of fun!
Here's to hoping SATC is out by September 29th because it would be a perfect thing to have on repeat as I lay in my recliner recovering from the marathon!
Friday, May 30, 2008
OMG it's SATC TONIGHT!
Ok, so I thought it was funny to use a little word alphabet to start this off!
Tonight my friends, is the debut of Sex and the City - The Movie, and I CANNOT wait! You see, SATC defines my life...it makes you think about who you are and about your relationships with men and friends and yourself, it makes you scream at the TV "I TOTALLY GET IT, WHY DOESN'T ANYONE ELSE?" - it's smart and fun and sexy - you know, just like me (ha ha).
Anyway, tonight me and 15 of my girlfriends are off to a fabulous dinner at Samba (a Brazilian meat place that I don't know too much about but the waiters are apparently gorgeous and they carry around lots of yummy meat - how much more can a girl ask for?!?) and then we're heading to the movie in hopes that in the end everything...and every one is happy (and of course fabulous).
In preparation for the movie, I have been working my way through each of the seasons on DVD and have been thinking a lot about my friends. The SATC girls are smart, established, and successful and I'm so thankful that I get to surround myself with women who are just the same.
Last week we had an amazing dinner at a friend's place in Madison - there, in that dining room I was surrounded by a VP of Government Affairs for Aurora Hospital, the Chief of Staff for the Senate Majority Leader, the Director of Progressive Majority, Legislative Liaisons for DHFS and the DNR, women who helped negotiate the state budget, a librarian for a prominent law firm, a woman who had a major hand in crafting a statewide health care plan, the lobbyist for Milwaukee County, etc. These are SMART women who are also fun and funny and fashionable and each bring something different to the table in our group and I love them all. It's so fun to have such a diverse group of women in my circle in Madison that is broaden by the women I love and think are fabulous in Beloit (ie teachers and associate executive directors at the Y and child care directors, and sales people who hate their jobs but are suffering because they're still going to school and being a mom at the same time and manage to balance everything pretty well AKA my sister).
So, here's to SATC and amazing girlfriends - I cherish them both!
Tonight my friends, is the debut of Sex and the City - The Movie, and I CANNOT wait! You see, SATC defines my life...it makes you think about who you are and about your relationships with men and friends and yourself, it makes you scream at the TV "I TOTALLY GET IT, WHY DOESN'T ANYONE ELSE?" - it's smart and fun and sexy - you know, just like me (ha ha).
Anyway, tonight me and 15 of my girlfriends are off to a fabulous dinner at Samba (a Brazilian meat place that I don't know too much about but the waiters are apparently gorgeous and they carry around lots of yummy meat - how much more can a girl ask for?!?) and then we're heading to the movie in hopes that in the end everything...and every one is happy (and of course fabulous).
In preparation for the movie, I have been working my way through each of the seasons on DVD and have been thinking a lot about my friends. The SATC girls are smart, established, and successful and I'm so thankful that I get to surround myself with women who are just the same.
Last week we had an amazing dinner at a friend's place in Madison - there, in that dining room I was surrounded by a VP of Government Affairs for Aurora Hospital, the Chief of Staff for the Senate Majority Leader, the Director of Progressive Majority, Legislative Liaisons for DHFS and the DNR, women who helped negotiate the state budget, a librarian for a prominent law firm, a woman who had a major hand in crafting a statewide health care plan, the lobbyist for Milwaukee County, etc. These are SMART women who are also fun and funny and fashionable and each bring something different to the table in our group and I love them all. It's so fun to have such a diverse group of women in my circle in Madison that is broaden by the women I love and think are fabulous in Beloit (ie teachers and associate executive directors at the Y and child care directors, and sales people who hate their jobs but are suffering because they're still going to school and being a mom at the same time and manage to balance everything pretty well AKA my sister).
So, here's to SATC and amazing girlfriends - I cherish them both!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Stop Avoiding ME
Ok, so I've been avoiding myself lately - my blog, my journal, my body, and my head have all taken a back seat to this SUPER weird month of May.
As this month closes, I have to say I didn't like it so much. I have had more WTF moments this month than I have in the last year - from a whirlwind trip to NYC to getting into and out of a "relationship" and maybe back into it again, to going through my grandma's house deciding what I want to take to remember her and my grandpa, to annoying things at work and people leaving...It has truly been a month that I want to do nothing but shout WTF at...although I use the real words cause that's the kind of girl I am.
So, I'm not going to avoid myself anymore - in fact, I'm starting to train for a marathon and am getting back to my journal and my blog and myself.
I have done a LOT of thinking this month though - about the kind of girl I am and the kind of girl I want to be...and the kind of girl I don't want to be.
I'm the kind of girl who values sentiment - I don't need "stuff" but I need pictures and things that remind me of times gone by or times that I never knew.
I'm the kind of girl who doesn't say no, and needs to learn how. I take on so many things that I often put things I truly love to the wayside because I always feel like I have to be a people pleaser.
I'm the kind of girl who wants to explore and learn and see and do. Not the kind of girl who wants to sit around when I'm somewhere fabulous.
I'm the kind of girl who values other people's time and learns to appreciate the time that I get with people. I am not the kind of girl who needs to spend every waking second with the same person.
I'm the kind of girl who's independent. There are so many things I love about living alone and being single and doing my own thing - managing my own life and finances and apartment. But I'm also the kind of girl who would love to share all of those things with someone.
I'm the kind of girl who is giving - sometimes too giving. I give freely of my time (which I don't have much of) and myself - who I am and what I'm all about. I get burned a lot for that but I'm not willing to do it any other way. I don't hide things or emotion from people.
I'm the kind of girl who gets frustrated over little things that I shouldn't - I'm working on that one.
I'm the kind of girl who can play playstation, eat frozen pizza and drink beer one night, and be at a 5 course dinner and the opera the next. I think that this makes me special. :)
I'm the kind of girl who sometimes just likes to be at home, alone, with reruns of sex and the city and Chinese take out.
I'm the kind of girl who can hang with the guys at a sporting event in a baseball hat and then get dolled up and have a night on the town with my girlfriends.
I'm the kind of girl who is crazy complicated but incredibly simple...and I like it that way.
There are lots of other things that could be included in this list, because well, note the last statement! The bottom line is that I'm not avoiding myself any more, which is refreshing!
As this month closes, I have to say I didn't like it so much. I have had more WTF moments this month than I have in the last year - from a whirlwind trip to NYC to getting into and out of a "relationship" and maybe back into it again, to going through my grandma's house deciding what I want to take to remember her and my grandpa, to annoying things at work and people leaving...It has truly been a month that I want to do nothing but shout WTF at...although I use the real words cause that's the kind of girl I am.
So, I'm not going to avoid myself anymore - in fact, I'm starting to train for a marathon and am getting back to my journal and my blog and myself.
I have done a LOT of thinking this month though - about the kind of girl I am and the kind of girl I want to be...and the kind of girl I don't want to be.
I'm the kind of girl who values sentiment - I don't need "stuff" but I need pictures and things that remind me of times gone by or times that I never knew.
I'm the kind of girl who doesn't say no, and needs to learn how. I take on so many things that I often put things I truly love to the wayside because I always feel like I have to be a people pleaser.
I'm the kind of girl who wants to explore and learn and see and do. Not the kind of girl who wants to sit around when I'm somewhere fabulous.
I'm the kind of girl who values other people's time and learns to appreciate the time that I get with people. I am not the kind of girl who needs to spend every waking second with the same person.
I'm the kind of girl who's independent. There are so many things I love about living alone and being single and doing my own thing - managing my own life and finances and apartment. But I'm also the kind of girl who would love to share all of those things with someone.
I'm the kind of girl who is giving - sometimes too giving. I give freely of my time (which I don't have much of) and myself - who I am and what I'm all about. I get burned a lot for that but I'm not willing to do it any other way. I don't hide things or emotion from people.
I'm the kind of girl who gets frustrated over little things that I shouldn't - I'm working on that one.
I'm the kind of girl who can play playstation, eat frozen pizza and drink beer one night, and be at a 5 course dinner and the opera the next. I think that this makes me special. :)
I'm the kind of girl who sometimes just likes to be at home, alone, with reruns of sex and the city and Chinese take out.
I'm the kind of girl who can hang with the guys at a sporting event in a baseball hat and then get dolled up and have a night on the town with my girlfriends.
I'm the kind of girl who is crazy complicated but incredibly simple...and I like it that way.
There are lots of other things that could be included in this list, because well, note the last statement! The bottom line is that I'm not avoiding myself any more, which is refreshing!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Ca-Ca-Ca-Carazy
Since I have not run a race since December I had forgotten how fun it is!
I ran the Crazy Legs race in Madison, and had a blast! I had set my goal time to be 45:00 - I had run 5 miles in 47 min before and I figured on a race day I could shave off 2 min. without a problem.
However, the problem became the wind, and while I finished with a time of 45:32 and am really happy with that, if I wouldn't have been battling the wind I think I could have met my goal. Running up Observatory Drive, directly into the wind, was a challenge - one that left a lot of people walking (which was great for me because I love passing people!).
I started out with a group of people from the capitol and after the first mile I just had to go. I ran to the "soundtrack" (cheesy mixed cd) of the Pink Bus fro m Thailand and it kept me pumped up. There's something about a techno remix of the Cranberries' Zombie that makes a girl run hard and fast!
The course really is beautiful, winding through campus and down along the bike path, with the lake as background and the finish line at the 50 yard line of Camp Randall it's something that I'm already looking forward to doing again next year with a goal to beat my time from this year!
I ran the Crazy Legs race in Madison, and had a blast! I had set my goal time to be 45:00 - I had run 5 miles in 47 min before and I figured on a race day I could shave off 2 min. without a problem.
However, the problem became the wind, and while I finished with a time of 45:32 and am really happy with that, if I wouldn't have been battling the wind I think I could have met my goal. Running up Observatory Drive, directly into the wind, was a challenge - one that left a lot of people walking (which was great for me because I love passing people!).
I started out with a group of people from the capitol and after the first mile I just had to go. I ran to the "soundtrack" (cheesy mixed cd) of the Pink Bus fro m Thailand and it kept me pumped up. There's something about a techno remix of the Cranberries' Zombie that makes a girl run hard and fast!
The course really is beautiful, winding through campus and down along the bike path, with the lake as background and the finish line at the 50 yard line of Camp Randall it's something that I'm already looking forward to doing again next year with a goal to beat my time from this year!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Living Life to the Fullest
I had been working on a big long rant about how much dating sucks when, on Friday, my world was rocked with my Grandma passing away…it was a weekend (and has been a week) of reflecting and spending time with my family.
Although my grandma was 86 and had been in a nursing home for the last couple of years, her passing was quite a shock to us all and happened very quickly; which, when you have to go, is the best way possible.
Spending time at my grandma’s house over the weekend and looking through old pictures of her with her friends and on vacation, and with her family has really made me think a lot about living your life to the fullest, because I do believe that my grandma lived a very full life and I hope that she never had any regrets.
I truly believe in never turning down a chance to travel, or an opportunity to learn something new, and to just do something fun and different, and most importantly never settling just because something is comfortable.
So I recently started making a “Bucket List” – although in my version these are things I want to do before I’m 30…and I’ll start new after that! Anyone else have a “Bucket List”?? What’s on it? Here’s mine, which I’m sure will be added to:
Although my grandma was 86 and had been in a nursing home for the last couple of years, her passing was quite a shock to us all and happened very quickly; which, when you have to go, is the best way possible.
Spending time at my grandma’s house over the weekend and looking through old pictures of her with her friends and on vacation, and with her family has really made me think a lot about living your life to the fullest, because I do believe that my grandma lived a very full life and I hope that she never had any regrets.
I truly believe in never turning down a chance to travel, or an opportunity to learn something new, and to just do something fun and different, and most importantly never settling just because something is comfortable.
So I recently started making a “Bucket List” – although in my version these are things I want to do before I’m 30…and I’ll start new after that! Anyone else have a “Bucket List”?? What’s on it? Here’s mine, which I’m sure will be added to:
Run as many 5K races as possible
Run at least 3 8K races
Run the 10K Fall Classic at the Y
Complete a Biathlon
Complete a Triathlon
Learn how to play golf
Learn how to
play tennis
Learn to ski/snowboard
Get SCUBA certified and
dive
somewhere fabulous
Start a continual yoga/meditating practice -
@ least
15 min. a day
Sky Dive (preferably in a really cool
country!)
Canoe the Boundary Waters
Complete a Marathon
somewhere cool to
celebrate turning 30!
Win Re-Election to County
Board
Become
adept at some form of dancing
Take a creative
writing class
Learn French
Visit Paris and other parts of France
(Really) Learn to play the pianoPlay my flute more often
Go on a Hot Air Balloon ride
Stay at a fun, cozy,
bed and breakfast in Italy
Take an art class
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