This is my last post for this evening, I promise.
After having one of the worst oncall weeks, I opened my mailbox yesterday evening to find a little envelope from the CNIM testing company. Mind you, I stumbled upon this in between my late night Friday add-on case and being informed I needed to head to Green Bay to cover a case for today. BLAH! So needless to say, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to open this tiny, yet oh-so-significant piece of mail. All I could think was, "What if I didn't pass?" I just couldn't bear the thought of opening up something which could add to the stress and disappointment of my week. However, I decided to stop being a worry-wart and a negative Nancy, and open it. And, to my PLEASANT surprise, I PASSED!! Oh happy day! That was just the little pick me up I needed after this crazy week. What a relief to know that is done with! I could not be more thankful!!
Now onto the GREs. LOL. :)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
MJ's visit...and sushi
So as you (probably) know, my sister came to visit last weekend, and it was GREAT! I really miss not living closer to her; we may argue (and often over stupid things - see below) but in the end we always get over it and have a fabulous time. We ran the 5K, hung out with my friends and played whirlyball. A simple agenda, but lots of fun (and funny for me to watch MJ gimp around, like an old bitty, after killing herself in the 5k - without training!). Here is a photo of us sporting our green pride with some friends Saturday night!
However, as mentioned previously, sisters getting together isn't without it's heated moments, and by Sunday MJ and I had hit that point. I woke up in a bit of grump (okay, very grumpy) and couldn't seem to shake it. I love my sister, but the one thing she can't seem to figure out is that when I'm in that mood, continuing to bring up an argument or make fun of me (albeit in good fun) does not help. In fact, it does just the opposite. I can be a very level-headed, patient person, but by Sunday evening when we were discussing what to do for dinner with a couple friends, my tolerance for her little comments had run out, and thus began the world's longest argument about...Sushi.
However, as mentioned previously, sisters getting together isn't without it's heated moments, and by Sunday MJ and I had hit that point. I woke up in a bit of grump (okay, very grumpy) and couldn't seem to shake it. I love my sister, but the one thing she can't seem to figure out is that when I'm in that mood, continuing to bring up an argument or make fun of me (albeit in good fun) does not help. In fact, it does just the opposite. I can be a very level-headed, patient person, but by Sunday evening when we were discussing what to do for dinner with a couple friends, my tolerance for her little comments had run out, and thus began the world's longest argument about...Sushi.
It started with a comment by her that went a little something like this, "I really want sushi for dinner (friends agree), but I'm sure if we ask Grace she will say, 'That's nice, but here's what we are actually getting.'" Now, let me preface this with the fact that I have only had sushi once before, and it was no more than a piece of a spicy tuna roll (from my sister...and ironically, she doesn't remember this). I actually didn't mind it, but sushi is just something that I haven't ever bothered to "fully" experience. So, the idea didn't exactly thrill me, but I was being a good sport and said, "That's fine, however I don't eat sushi, so you will have to look up where to go for it." She took this as a negative remark, and while she did look up places to go for sushi, she continued to go on and on about me not wanting to try something new and if it's a problem why don't I just say so. When I tried to protest and say it was okay and that I was up for it, she kept insisting I wasn't. This went on for 30 minutes. Yes, that's right, 30 MINUTES. 30 minutes of arguing, in increasing volume, before she finally felt convinced that I was being sincere enough to go and have sushi for dinner. I know that sounds awful, and not all that funny, but the story gets better.
When we finally reached the sushi place (of my sister's choice) and pulled in to the parking lot, we found that we were the only customers there. Not exactly what you want to see when hoping to consume raw foods (and this was agreed upon by all). So, we got Mexican instead...HAHA! What a night! In the end we had a laugh about it and had to thank sushi for making us realize how ridiculous we can be (and perhaps a bit tired too). [Also made a promise to find a decent sushi place here before she visits again...just to save an argument in the future! haha]
Does anyone else have silly arguments with their siblings?
The 5k post...finally
Okay, so maybe it's a week late, but here is my post about my first 5K! First, the stats.
Time: 39:35
Pace: 12:45
Age place: 80/93
Overall place: 876/1106
Maybe to some this is not all that impressive, but I'm very proud of it. My two goals were to run the whole thing and to do it in under 40 minutes, both of which I achieved. Therefore, I consider it a success.
Another plus is that I no longer completely loathe running. YAY! That's what I was waiting to happen the entire time I trained, and it finally did. I've actually kept up with my running since the race as well, and I'm hoping to do a couple more races in the near future. I don't know that I will ever get into running quite to the extent as some of my other friends (Queenie :D ), but I'm enjoying the health benefits of it and I think the 5k distance is a good fit for now.
The best part of this 5k though, was running it with 8 friends and my sister (not that I actually ran it with them...they are all faster than me). It was great to share the experience with them and definitely made the experience more enjoyable. Here is a group shot of all of us after the race!
This was followed by breakfast and beer! haha. Gotta love the Green Lights festivities. :)
(In case you were wondering, I'm front and center, sporting the green headband.)
Time: 39:35
Pace: 12:45
Age place: 80/93
Overall place: 876/1106
Maybe to some this is not all that impressive, but I'm very proud of it. My two goals were to run the whole thing and to do it in under 40 minutes, both of which I achieved. Therefore, I consider it a success.
Another plus is that I no longer completely loathe running. YAY! That's what I was waiting to happen the entire time I trained, and it finally did. I've actually kept up with my running since the race as well, and I'm hoping to do a couple more races in the near future. I don't know that I will ever get into running quite to the extent as some of my other friends (Queenie :D ), but I'm enjoying the health benefits of it and I think the 5k distance is a good fit for now.
The best part of this 5k though, was running it with 8 friends and my sister (not that I actually ran it with them...they are all faster than me). It was great to share the experience with them and definitely made the experience more enjoyable. Here is a group shot of all of us after the race!
This was followed by breakfast and beer! haha. Gotta love the Green Lights festivities. :)
(In case you were wondering, I'm front and center, sporting the green headband.)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Simply "Da Best"...
I have the best sister in the world. She always seems to know how to keep me in check and positive about life and the things I do. Today was no exception.
The infamous 5K race was today (more details to follow in a later post), and while I did indeed finish, I did not do quite as well as I had hoped. It is definitely a flaw of mine to be hard on myself, and knowing this, my sister picked up on the fact that I seemed to be a bit down in spite of having achieved what I had set out to do. She asked why I was feeling down, and when I told her it was because I felt like all of my training didn't quite get me to where I had hoped to be, she replied with this, "As an athlete, when you played soccer, your game was the quick, short, sprint-type running; endurance is not your game or strong point. Yet, knowing that, you still set out to run the 5K and overcome it, and you did. What you did is a huge accomplishment, and you have every reason to be just as proud as anyone who finished that race."
That one little speech has truly made all the difference. She has made realize what I struggled to see all along, that I did something I never thought I could have done. Two months ago, running a full 5K seemed like a nice goal, but not a reality, and today I changed that. I am so proud of this accomplishment, and I have my sister to thank for helping me to fully recognize that. I feel blessed to have her as my sister and will always love her for the person that she is and who she helps me to be. She is simply "da best."
The infamous 5K race was today (more details to follow in a later post), and while I did indeed finish, I did not do quite as well as I had hoped. It is definitely a flaw of mine to be hard on myself, and knowing this, my sister picked up on the fact that I seemed to be a bit down in spite of having achieved what I had set out to do. She asked why I was feeling down, and when I told her it was because I felt like all of my training didn't quite get me to where I had hoped to be, she replied with this, "As an athlete, when you played soccer, your game was the quick, short, sprint-type running; endurance is not your game or strong point. Yet, knowing that, you still set out to run the 5K and overcome it, and you did. What you did is a huge accomplishment, and you have every reason to be just as proud as anyone who finished that race."
That one little speech has truly made all the difference. She has made realize what I struggled to see all along, that I did something I never thought I could have done. Two months ago, running a full 5K seemed like a nice goal, but not a reality, and today I changed that. I am so proud of this accomplishment, and I have my sister to thank for helping me to fully recognize that. I feel blessed to have her as my sister and will always love her for the person that she is and who she helps me to be. She is simply "da best."
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Staying positive...
Monday morning I ran the full 5k distance (without timing myself) just to see how it would go. I did in fact finish, which is giving me confidence for Saturday's race, however I felt wiped after the last mile. That may have something to do with the fact that the last .75mile was uphill, but what if it wasn't? I feel like I have worked so hard for this race, so I don't just want to finish it, I want to finish it strong. Today I decided to go for a twenty minute run and see how far I would get. I started out sluggish and was having difficulty finding my stride, but still managed to finish mile 1 in the 11-12pace range. However at 22 minutes I was still short of my 2 mile mark. Not exactly where I was hoping to finish for today, but it's definitely eons from where I began two and half months ago. So I've decided that's what I'm going to focus on (and cling to) today. I may not be where I want to be, but I am certainly improving. In another month, who knows how much better I will be. Just have to stay positive. :)
On another positive note, my sister comes tomorrow for a weekend visit! I haven't seen her since Christmas, and I can't wait to hang out with her again. I feel blessed to be so close to my siblings and love that we all try to stay in touch living apart from one another. It will be wonderful to spend some time with her and introduce her to my Illinois "family"...not to mention celebrate the festival of Green lights (and beer!). No doubt, some great stories to come (and of course, be shared).
On another positive note, my sister comes tomorrow for a weekend visit! I haven't seen her since Christmas, and I can't wait to hang out with her again. I feel blessed to be so close to my siblings and love that we all try to stay in touch living apart from one another. It will be wonderful to spend some time with her and introduce her to my Illinois "family"...not to mention celebrate the festival of Green lights (and beer!). No doubt, some great stories to come (and of course, be shared).
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
My ABCs...
I've seen this post going around, and decided I would jump on the bandwagon and give it a whirl. So, here are the "ABCs" of me...
Age: 24.
Bed size: Full...if only I had realized that when I bought a queen size mattress topper. Oops.
Chore you hate: Dusting, folding clothes and washing dishes are my top three least favorite, but just not a fan of household chores in general.
Dogs: Love 'em...with the exceptions of large dogs and dogs that shed alot. My family has a Lhasa apso, and I think he is the perfect dog.
Essential start your day item: Hot tea. Yum!
Favorite color: Kelly green
Gold or silver: Silver. Though white gold is really lovely too.
Height: Just over 5'6". I'm told by my peers that makes me tall, but I think I'm of average height for a female.
Instruments you play: Played the piano intermittently for years. Have also tried my hand at the recorder and clarinet, though neither were my choice. I have always wanted to play the drums, specifically the hand drums (bongo-type).
Job title: Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring technologist. Try saying that quickly 5 times.
Kids: Nope. But there is a cute, little guy that lives in D.C. who I am the proud Godmother of.
Live: Life to the fullest. Great strategy right? ;) (Geographically, Chicago suburbs...for now.)
Mom's name: Well her full name is Tamara Jean, but most people call her Tami. However, my father, siblings and I lovingly refer to her as Tarni...it's an inside joke.
Nicknames: Gracie buttons and petunia were nicknames given to me by my deceased (paternal) grandfather; most of my family still calls me Buttons. Other nicknames that I have acquired through the generosity of my friends are G-race (my mom calls me this too haha; friend/co-worker Miguel adds a DJ in front of it), Grrrrrrrace (thank you again, Miguel), Peaches (result of an interesting high school conversation) and my two favorites from college (both given to me by lab partner of all four years) Spletzy Spletz and Gracilis.
Overnight hospital stays: A couple. Once when I was just under a year old for a high, unexplained fever and once for a broken elbow/surgery.
Pet Peeve(s): Writing in pencil, rude/inconsiderate drivers, when a song I love comes on as I am getting out of the car for work, being late (though when it comes to things with friends or family, I almost always am...oopsies) and bad weather on my days off.
Quote from a movie: This is tough. I feel like I have so many. Hmmm. I guess the following quote is my favorite, because it's the first one that sprang to mind and it's something that inspires me to be a good person and live a life I can look back on fondly. "I'm a man with no regrets, how lucky am I?" - P.S. I Love You.
Right or Left-handed: Hands down, right. No pun intended.
Siblings: My favorite people in the world! Both of my siblings are younger than me; my sister and I are 20 months apart and my brother is 6 years younger than I.
Time you wake up: My work schedule changes daily, and so does my alarm clock setting. On the weekends, unless I have something to be up for, I don't set an alarm...but usually I am up by 8am.
Underwear: Yes, I prefer it. Commando just isn't my style.
Vegetable you dislike: Brussel sprouts. BLAH!
What makes you late: What doesn't? I'm easily side-tracked.
X-Rays you've had done: Here we go...teeth, neck, back, left knee, right elbow and both ankles.
Yummy food you make: My favorite thing I make is bruschetta, but my friends say my desserts are my best creations.
Zoo animal favorite: Monkeys are entertaining to watch, but I've always been a sucker for giraffes and aquatic creatures.
What are your ABCs?
Age: 24.
Bed size: Full...if only I had realized that when I bought a queen size mattress topper. Oops.
Chore you hate: Dusting, folding clothes and washing dishes are my top three least favorite, but just not a fan of household chores in general.
Dogs: Love 'em...with the exceptions of large dogs and dogs that shed alot. My family has a Lhasa apso, and I think he is the perfect dog.
Essential start your day item: Hot tea. Yum!
Favorite color: Kelly green
Gold or silver: Silver. Though white gold is really lovely too.
Height: Just over 5'6". I'm told by my peers that makes me tall, but I think I'm of average height for a female.
Instruments you play: Played the piano intermittently for years. Have also tried my hand at the recorder and clarinet, though neither were my choice. I have always wanted to play the drums, specifically the hand drums (bongo-type).
Job title: Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring technologist. Try saying that quickly 5 times.
Kids: Nope. But there is a cute, little guy that lives in D.C. who I am the proud Godmother of.
Live: Life to the fullest. Great strategy right? ;) (Geographically, Chicago suburbs...for now.)
Mom's name: Well her full name is Tamara Jean, but most people call her Tami. However, my father, siblings and I lovingly refer to her as Tarni...it's an inside joke.
Nicknames: Gracie buttons and petunia were nicknames given to me by my deceased (paternal) grandfather; most of my family still calls me Buttons. Other nicknames that I have acquired through the generosity of my friends are G-race (my mom calls me this too haha; friend/co-worker Miguel adds a DJ in front of it), Grrrrrrrace (thank you again, Miguel), Peaches (result of an interesting high school conversation) and my two favorites from college (both given to me by lab partner of all four years) Spletzy Spletz and Gracilis.
Overnight hospital stays: A couple. Once when I was just under a year old for a high, unexplained fever and once for a broken elbow/surgery.
Pet Peeve(s): Writing in pencil, rude/inconsiderate drivers, when a song I love comes on as I am getting out of the car for work, being late (though when it comes to things with friends or family, I almost always am...oopsies) and bad weather on my days off.
Quote from a movie: This is tough. I feel like I have so many. Hmmm. I guess the following quote is my favorite, because it's the first one that sprang to mind and it's something that inspires me to be a good person and live a life I can look back on fondly. "I'm a man with no regrets, how lucky am I?" - P.S. I Love You.
Right or Left-handed: Hands down, right. No pun intended.
Siblings: My favorite people in the world! Both of my siblings are younger than me; my sister and I are 20 months apart and my brother is 6 years younger than I.
Time you wake up: My work schedule changes daily, and so does my alarm clock setting. On the weekends, unless I have something to be up for, I don't set an alarm...but usually I am up by 8am.
Underwear: Yes, I prefer it. Commando just isn't my style.
Vegetable you dislike: Brussel sprouts. BLAH!
What makes you late: What doesn't? I'm easily side-tracked.
X-Rays you've had done: Here we go...teeth, neck, back, left knee, right elbow and both ankles.
Yummy food you make: My favorite thing I make is bruschetta, but my friends say my desserts are my best creations.
Zoo animal favorite: Monkeys are entertaining to watch, but I've always been a sucker for giraffes and aquatic creatures.
What are your ABCs?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
5k progress...
St. Patty's 5k run is just 8 days away! I cannot believe how quickly it is approaching. I think I will actually be ready for it though. This training process has not been without its up and downs, but as we enter the final stretch, other than some ankle/feet issues (likely caused by my poor running form) I feel confident that I will indeed achieve my goal of finishing the race. I realize to runners, 5k isn't something overly impressive, but being the non-runner that I am (or perhaps was, as I'm actually starting to enjoy it on some level...finally) 3.1 miles will be quite the achievement for me.
On Sunday Lily and I ran for 30 minutes, and by the MapMyRun calculations we covered just under 2.75 miles. On Tuesday we did a 20 minute run, with her iPod keeping track of distance and pace. Lily, having much better form, ran faster than me, and covered a bit more distance, but based off her stats, we figured I ran in between a 10-11 pace and hit just under the 2 mile mark. (She did a little better with a solid 10 pace and 2.01 miles covered...Go Lily!) I'm really excited at our progress and I think we are both finding our stride and what works for us. It's been quite a process, but I'm proud of us for sticking with it. I think running the race will be fun, but I feel like we've accomplished something so much more important at this point. We are building in a routine for this and adding a healthy activity to our weekly regimens. I really hope we keep up with this after the race is finished.
On Sunday Lily and I ran for 30 minutes, and by the MapMyRun calculations we covered just under 2.75 miles. On Tuesday we did a 20 minute run, with her iPod keeping track of distance and pace. Lily, having much better form, ran faster than me, and covered a bit more distance, but based off her stats, we figured I ran in between a 10-11 pace and hit just under the 2 mile mark. (She did a little better with a solid 10 pace and 2.01 miles covered...Go Lily!) I'm really excited at our progress and I think we are both finding our stride and what works for us. It's been quite a process, but I'm proud of us for sticking with it. I think running the race will be fun, but I feel like we've accomplished something so much more important at this point. We are building in a routine for this and adding a healthy activity to our weekly regimens. I really hope we keep up with this after the race is finished.
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