You're killin' me Smalls!

Ok - seriously - anyone that does not love The Sandlot - you just don't know. You just don't. Such a great coming of age movie. And it includes baseball....always reminds me of my childhood growing up on Aster Lane. (that particular movie is on while I write this, so you're all not like...where the ef did that come from katie?) :-)

Today was one of those days that went so fast, I blinked and it was over. I guess that's what happens when things are planned each hour for work. Today was Family Night at PSC. This means we had the pools open til 9:30, grounds til 10...and there were a lot of activities planned. That being said - I had such a great time! Seriously, I hope I can put pics up once Bethany puts them on Facebook because they're worth showing.

I'll most likely update about Family Night tomorrow night...but tonight I'd like to take a moment to talk about what I did yesterday.

Yesterday, I had a pretty typical day: I went to Spin Class; I got a pedicure; I came home for a bit and made my lunch; I went to work and then came home for the night. In between the pedicure and coming home - I went to George Washington Cemetery. In other words, I visited Rachel and Troy's Grave.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. Gorgeous. I went. I sat down at the foot of the grave, where Rachel's stone is and I sobbed. I outwardly sobbed. Any one that knows me, knows I don't really cry in front of people unless something horrible has happened - so it's only normal that I was alone and crying to two people who mean/meant the world to me. I think it was a culmination of everything I've been keeping to myself just kind of coming to a breaking point. I tend to keep everything...well...a lot of things...to myself. It's an old habit that I've been trying to break but you know what they say about old habits and dying hard. So......I sobbed. I sobbed and sobbed. I talked. I sobbed. [[Sidenote: From now on, if I plan a trip to the cemetery I always need to bring tissues...using my sleeve is not a good option]]

I talked about what was on my mind. I told Rachel how much I could use her advice right now. And then this amazing thing happened....as it has before (the 5K race and at work)....a butterfly. A butterfly flew right by my head and just hovered over the grave with me. It flew away quickly - but it was there and it made me smile through the tears. I don't care if people think I'm crazy when I say that. I don't care what anyone thinks about that....it gives me comfort and I'll take it. I miss them dearly. I think about them often.

So alright. Enough about that. I know the sad stuff doesn't keep people reading. But. I don't make any apologies. This blog isn't supposed to always be happy. It's about me, the life I lead, and what I feel/think. It is what it is...and that's all I got :-). take it or leave it....it's just me.

I could really use a wish right now....

Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now, wish right now
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A few things:

-My journey into teaching seems to be coming to a screeching halt. I spoke with both my mother and father about this last night. Those that are close to me know why but basically I found out what happened in the past can NOT be reversed. What that basically means, unless I want to teach in Philly, I won't get a job at a public school in the 'burbs. Yeah. Awesome.

-I think since last week was so busy, I'm finally having a few moments this week to think about all the things that I didn't get to. I miss Rachel. I really do need to visit her grave. I am working late today, I'll probably go after spin class this morning.

-I am itching to move out of my mother's house SO entirely much. But financially, it doesn't seem like a smart move. Drain my savings just because my mother is driving me nuts? Seems logical - but not necessarily practical...esp if I won't have a certainty of getting a job after all is said and done.

-I was thinking last night - when I start student teaching in the Spring - when will I have time to incorporate a workout routine? I realized the only time is most likely early in the morning before school....which means...ugh...early mornings, early nights. Since I'll still be coaching at that time, and I doubt I'm gonna want to workout AFTER swim practices, morning workouts are probably my only option. Ugh. Maybe that's the time I should start P90X? ha. I can see it now - me waking up at 4:30 just to do P90X for an hour and then get ready for student teaching....ha. Um. Yeah.

-Don't kid yourself - that previous bullet is a pretty big deal to me. Anyone that knows me, knows I'm most likely going to either have a nervous breakdown or simply just get depressed. There's a reason I workout nearly every day....it keeps me sane!

-Can anyone else NOT believe August is this Sunday? Where is this year going?

Who cares if you disagree?

You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So, you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

All my life I’ve tried to make everybody happy
While I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me it’s my turn to decide
~Sara Bareilles
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That is the latest and greatest song stuck in my head on a daily basis. I love it. So perfect. Well. It's great for those people who are trying to tell you how to run your life (in which case, I wish my mother would listen to it! ha)

Le Sigh.

The weekend has come and gone. The situation with the pool has cleared up. Thank the lord! Saturday was a BUSY day. My praxis was eh. Haha - I convinced the ladies at the testing center to let me go early (I was finished with 30 minutes to spare) because I had to get to PSC. They aren't supposed to let you go early but I worked my magic charm :-) Yup. I did. And I was released. I don't really know how I did. To be honest - I wasn't nervous. I just did it. And when it was over, I didn't think twice about it. So many other things were going through my head that day.

Rachel. Troy. B-Champs. The Pools. The surprise party. Fitting in time for everything. Needless to say, it was an exhausting week.....and thankfully I was off today to kind of regroup.

The weekend came and went....but today I went into PSC for a little and found a bit of a shock when I walked in and a bit of the repercussions from last week came barrelling back into my face. I think all is smoothed out now - but let's just say you do NOT want Frank to be mad at you. Ever. Hopefully it will be ok by tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Went for a bike ride today with Ryan (one of my guards at PSC). He thought we were going to go for a leisurely bike ride. I was all about my normal routine. It's interesting. I didn't realize how good of shape I was in until I was back on my bike. I was trying to set a pace but then realized Ryan wasn't keeping up. Guess I'll go by myself from now on. We didn't do bad though. Just slow. 23 miles or so. I would've liked to have gotten in 40 today - but it was AMAZING to be back on my bike. I don't know why I haven't ridden in so long. So easy to remember how it felt. I love it. Either tomorrow or Wednesday morning I'll be riding. Since the humidity is slightly lower these days - it'll be easier to breathe.

Elsewhere - I'm currently at Cabrini. Ryan came in tonight. Remember, Ryan? Yeah. He came in for a few minutes to talk to Gary. Funny. I think he was nervous:-) He SHOULD BE! See what he's missing out on! It truly is his loss. He's still so cute though. Ah well. Whatever. :-) It was fun while it lasted......

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So recently I've been thinking about this whole dating thing. I might try to start back up in the Fall. We'll see. I don't really want to force anything. I'm definitely not a fan of the online stuff. It's just not my cup of tea. I guess I just need to get out more.....or move back to Florida? haha.

In memory of those we have loved and lost....

Anyone familiar with a Catholic Mass knows that the phrase in my subject line is one that is said regularly. Today is no different than any other day for some people. But today. For me. Regardless of the other stuff I have to do. Is going to be a tough one.

I write this now (at 6:08am) because I won't have a chance to get it all out later. I won't be able to cry. I won't be able to show emotion. I will have to be happy all day.

I'm leaving shortly to take my English Praxis (of which I haven't been able to study for all week...see previous posts for explanation). Shortly thereafter I have to head over to PSC for "B" Champs. It's basically a swim championship all day. I've been scheduled for late shift but I'm going to try and get there early so I can leave early. We'll see how that works out. If it's anything like the way the week has gone, I'm not going to have any luck with it. After that, I'd tell you where I was going but for fear of someone that isn't supposed to know, I won't mention it. Just know I have something to do.

So why the sadness?

A year ago this morning (well, technically it was a Friday but today is the actual date), I was sitting at the exact same computer I'm typing this at and Corrine (Glenn's girlfriend) came into our house....

"Hey Corrine, what's up?" (my mom and sister are both sitting on our couch adjacent to the computer)
"Hey guys....um....(huge pause and tears rolling down her face)....Rachel and Troy. They're. Rachel and Troy are dead."


You can imagine the disbelief and fear we all had when we heard this. Of course this wasn't a joke. Not because Corrine wasn't a jokester but you know, you just don't kid about this kind of stuff. It was then that I realized my world would be topsy turvy for a few weeks.

I remember the rest of that weekend vividly. I remember doing anything and everything I could to not think about it. I eventually broke down and called Josh. He let me cry. He let me talk. He just let me be. The memories of that day will always be with me. I can not believe it has been a year. I just can not even fathom how quickly the year has gone.

In an effort to try and remain positive (so I am not balling my eyes out during my test or later today), I want to share two favorite memories I have with Rachel and Troy (respectively).

I believe it was my 12th or 13th birthday...maybe younger...either way - we have video of it so I'll be able to double check later. I was having a party at my house (as I usually did) and a bunch of my friends decided to have a dance contest. I didn't have a partner (weird, right? it was my birthday after all) and Rachel was hanging out at my party. So she and I teamed up and we danced to Paula Abdul's "Straight Up". Haha - we kind of planned the dance. We kind of decided to wing it. But it was then that I realized that she and I would be friends for a long time. I have so many more memories with her - but this is one of my favorites. She and I were always goofy together. She and I were very similar. I miss her more than I let on. I just don't want to upset people. Yesterday morning I was at PSC and a hummingbird (yes, a hummingbird) flew right up to me and hovered for a few seconds...and then flew away. It was her. I know it. I just know it. And the butterfly that finished my 5K with me....definitely her too.

I have this amazing memory of my times with Troy. One of my favorites was one of the last ones before he died. My mom had bought him a small moonbounce that we could set up really easily in our front yard. He was playing on it...and he asked me to join in with him. So I did. I started (playfully) throwing him up and kind of pretending to WWE style slam him into the cushions. It wasn't in away he'd get hurt. All fun. I was holding him the whole time. But he loved it. And kept asking for more. We would play with the pillows in our front room. He loved to sit in the red chair I always sit in at my house. He was such an inspiration and fighter. Most people didn't know he was born a micro-premie. Basically when he was born he was less than 2lbs. 1lb 12 oz. He fought to survive and boy he did. That little boy had one of the best personalities ever. I miss seeing his face in our house. I miss having him come in to the house and say, "Katie...c'mon! Let's go!" with no idea where we were going. He just wanted to have fun.

It's amazing how fast a year goes. Just amazing.

Bad News Bears...

Love how this phrase is catching on :-) I've already heard a bunch of people using it at PSC. I use this one regularly.....:-)

But the real bad news...I went in to work on Wednesday morning to check on swim lessons and do a few odds and ends. As I'm clocking out at 11 to go workout, I get a phone call from the Montgomery County Health Department....

"Hi, can I please speak to a manager in charge?"
"That's me. You can speak to me. What can I help you with?"
"It's come to our attention that a child in your area, that has claimed to have swam in your pools tested positive for Cryptosporidium ."
"Oh, um......(pause)....so, basically are you telling me I have to shut down our pools?"
"Yes, you should do this immediately."

And.....so you can guess how happy everyone at the pools were. At 11AM. When we open. And it was hot as hell out. With no chance of rain. And two camps. Along with the one we already have there. awesome. OH YEAH ALSO - THE MANAGER IS AWAY ON VACATION. So the person that knows how to do all this...yeah...isn't here. Thankfully I can call him and he's been über helpful.

I had a bunch of my guards close the pools and help me out. I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for them being there. Bethany came in and Mike came in too. They both stayed with me for the rest of the day. Chris and Ryan both helped out a lot. I can't even begin to thank them or know where to start to thank them for their help.

So the rest of the day went as follows. The Health Department came out to the pools. They tested us. Told us we have to get our chlorine levels up and stay up for atleast 13 hours. After that, we can start bringing them down and when they come to a normal level they will come out and re-test. So we did what we could do yesterday. Got the levels up. They stayed up overnight.

In the mean time - we threw all the toys and such into the pool. It was kind of creepy later in the day with no one where - but courtesy of Bethany - here's what some of the toys looked like:




Myself, Bethany, Mike, Chris and Ryan were all at PSC for a LONG time. I think I logged 16 hours yesterday. Mike at 15. Bethany at 12. Chris at 12 (although he was there longer) and Ryan at a normal day (although he was there longer too).

In the mean time - Ryan brought over P90X and Bethany, Ryan and I did one of the workouts. As seen here (photos courtesy of Bethany's camera - taken by Mike):





The guards were also planning their guard fun night. We still had it. I used the scavenger hunt clues I made up and they had a boys vs girls game.

The Girls:


The Boys:


I think they all had a good time. Shortly after they finished the scavenger hunt (boys technically won btw, but I'm giving them all a prize for playing) it downpoured. We finished up one set of tests and started watching Tropic Thunder. I could barely keep my eyes open before I was like, "oh, that's enough. We've gotta get out of here."

It was a long day...and today was pretty much another long day. The only reason I'm home now is because I was starting to get punchy. I'm just so tired that I am either going to start laughing hysterically or cry outwardly. And I definitely don't want to do either of those. At least not in the presence of my guards.

Today I got to the club early - 7:30ish. Checked the levels. Started working on bringing the chlorine down. It's taken all day but they're coming down. Hopefully the club will be open with flying colors tomorrow morning and all will be fine. The Swim Team has "B" Champs on Saturday at PSC. So here's hoping we can re-open and they don't have to change venues (for their sake).

The only bad thing (for me) is that I'm so drained right now that I didn't work out today. I guess it's okay to take a day off - but I missed Monday - and if I miss(ed) today - I might not get a chance to work out on Saturday since I'm bouncing from one thing to another. I haven't had a chance to study for my Praxis test on Saturday and even though I feel pretty confident.....I'd still like to get a practice test in....ya know?

ah well - I guess this is what happens when you take a job like this. The saying is something like, "expect the unexpected" - yes?

It's getting better all the time.....

So...I realized this morning after my quick post with pics I forgot to tell you a few other things that happened this weekend.

1. I had a Fiesta with Jacks :-) Awesomeness! And I got this amazing Phillies Hat! I have been trying to find a picture of it - but I don't even know where she got it from and even still. I don't want to show anyone cause I don't want anyone else to have it! It's amazing! I love it. Best Hat Ever. EVER! We had a great time too. Dinner (ZOMG...nachos and quesadillas!) and dessert (chocolate cake and Phillies GrandSlam Ice Cream - which I had never had before and ZOMG it's amazing!)! I slept over her house and we chatted and chatted and watched a bit of Entourage and just hung out. It was nice and fun and I loved it. I can't wait to do another one just like it :-) Bestest!

2. I went out with Netty on Friday night for dinner at Bahama Breeze. It was YUMMY! We caught up on SO much stuff and I'm so glad we got to get together. We chatted for a good three or four hours. Just so much time has gone by since we'd last seen each other. Hopefully it won't be like that too often. She started a new job today - NURSE NETTY!!! yay! I'm so psyched for her :-) She rocks my socks off. I think she'll be pretty freakin' awesome at her job. I miss her. I wish I saw her more. But this getting older thing and having things going on, man it sure does get in the way! haha :-)

3. The Manhunt team I was on...Team Two aka Mike's Team...WE WON! I totally forgot to write the best part was that we placed 30 minute search limits for each team. We searched first so we hid second. We got 7 of their people at the end. When it was our turn, they got all but two people...and with 3 minutes to go we all thought we were about to lose.....but then out of nowhere, Mike tagged the base and broke us all out of jail! - hence the title of the last post "1,2,3, Jailbreak!" haha. He kind of tackled Luke in the process but I think in the end all was fine.

4. I've been spending less and less time at home. A good thing I think. Tonight, I'm going to dinner with Betsy and Kym. Two friends of mine from Cabrini. We met LAST summer during classes and we managed to keep in contact since then but haven't had any of the same classes since then either :-) Tonight should be fun!

5. The rest of the week shouldn't be too bad. The Health Department was supposed to come to PSC today - as far as I know - they never showed. Maybe tomorrow? I'm technically off tomorrow and Wednesday but there was incliment weather at PSC today so I cancelled swim lessons which means tomorrow is the start of Session 3. I'll be there. Collecting money and getting last minute sign ups. I also plan (if it's nice) on going for a run and/or laying out tomorrow. I think it will be. Here's hoping.

6. Wednesday is Guard Fun Night at PSC. I'm planning a Scavenger Hunt for the kiddos. Hopefully it won't be lame.

7. I take my Praxis II exam on Saturday morning. Bright and early. 7am. Villanova. Then it's off to PSC for B-champs - all day. Then a partaaaaaay! I'm honestly not sweating this Praxis as much as the first one. Not sure why. Maybe it's because I realized I worried too much for the first one...or maybe I just feel really confident since it's subject matter (English). Here's hoping!

Some final thoughts....so far..into the ripe old age of 29...I'm liking it. I guess it's easier when people don't think you're 29 and you don't look 29....but still. I'm liking it. The resolution to "just have fun" this year is working so far. I think it might just be a banner year for k8efitz!

"1, 2, 3...JAILBREAK!!!"

Haha! We (as in we I mean, most of the staff of PSC) played Manhunt last night. In case some of you aren't familiar with it, it's basically a revved up version of Hide
n' Go Seek....but like a thousand times better. We were split into teams.

Team One - aka Chris' Team:




Team Two - aka Mike's Team (also the team I was on):




I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had last night. A few of us went swimming afterwards....but the actual manhunt part was really fun. Hopefully we play again. I hid with Ally Ramer. Both teams had 30 minutes to look for each team. We were some of the last people caught - we'll know better for next time though :-)

Ah....the health department comes to PSC today. I'm up extra early and about to head out that way...just wanted to update this as I knew I wouldn't be able to later today.

PSC til 3:30 - Cabrini at 4 - Erin's Hockey game (at Cabrini) - and I realized I'm supposed to go out to dinner with Betsy and Kym today (I'll have to cancel) :-( I hope they understand.

Ah well, just don't want to forget......off to do payroll!

Late Night Rant....

Brace yourself people...this one is about my mother.

It's been awhile since I've blogged about my mother. Anyone that knows my mother, knows she's a friendly person and a funny person. They like her and think she's great (with the exception of a few of her students). What I say to them is, "that's cause she's not your mom."

My mother is depressed. She is unhappy with SO many things in her life. And it's getting to the point where I think she is unhappy that I am SO happy with my life and she doesn't like that I'm not miserable when she's miserable. I can't stand it. She overreacted to something I said tonight. She asked me about Netty and if she had a boyfriend. [Netty has had a boyfriend for over a year now]. And I simply said, "yeah, for over a year now." And apparently the way I said it was mean.

I CAN NOT WIN! I don't understand her reactions or her childishness.

She wants to play the martyr card ALL THE TIME and I just can't deal with it. She complains about her weight and her life but just sits at home and eats in front of the tv. She's upset that she has to get her knees replaced, but she doesn't look at the fact that she's not dying! She's upset that our grandparents (her parents) are getting older and are too stubborn to put themselves in a nursing facility, but she still goes over to the house because "if I didn't no one else would". I call bullshit on all of it.

Now I'm not saying I'm not sympathetic to all of it - I completely am. I am sorry for her that she has to get new knees. I am sorry that she isn't happy. But how is this something that is supposed to make me sad? I can not let her bring me down. I can not let her pull me in. My life is MY LIFE. Her life is HER LIFE. If that makes me sound selfish, so be it. I can not continue to live my life based on whether or not my mother is happy. I have to make myself happy first, then worry about everyone else.

She cries at the drop of a hat. Like. NO JOKE. I can not take it. I can not keep living in a house like this....."THIS IS A HOUSE OF LIES!!!" (haha who gets that movie reference? anyone?....ELEVEN!!)

Am I being insensitive? Is this wrong? Like - I'm being rational here...right?

Phils Tavern 5K...and other nonsense

Ran with a few of my guards last night: Bethany, Chris, Kyra and Ryan. We collectively ran the Phils Tavern 5K sponsored by the Ambler Area Running Club. We all finished! I came in last out of the group :-) I don't know if I thought I wouldn't or not but to be honest, it was a tough run for me last night. I had a hard time breathing and I threw up/stopped once in the middle. And nearly again at the end. Yuck. I think I'm definitely a morning runner. ING Rock and Roll here I come!! ha :-) I did have a great time though. Definitely makes a HUGE difference running with friends. A few pics:

Pre-race



The Ladies



and Post Race:




All in all it was a fun night, like I said. I accomplished my goal time by going under 27 - I finished around 26:10 (give or take). Ryan finished first just around 21, Kyra and Chris finished in 23:40something, and Bethany finished in 24:50ish. Like I said, I stopped once and had a tough time breathing. I don't think the short races are my thing. But here's my story for the ending...and I wish I had my camera with me....

As I'm finishing the race - there's a small hill close to the finish line and we're pretty much surrounded by woods. I'm feeling pretty defeated at this point, like I'm not doing that well....and out of nowhere a huge butterfly starts flying with me. It stayed with me for awhile - until my friend Ryan could come and jog with me for a bit....it was, amazing. To say the least. It made me smile and gave me a sense of hope. I should've worn my RTFoundation shirt last night. I didn't even think of it. But that butterfly - Rachel was with me last night. :-)

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On to the nonsense:
This week has been pretty interesting to say the least. Monday I was "reprimanded" at Cabrini because apparently I don't seem like I'm happy when I'm there. So I asked one of the ladies who work in the office and she was like, "I have no idea why anyone would say that about you - you're like the happiest person here. They're crazy." So that put my disconcerting to rest. It really caught me off guard but I am honestly a pretty happy person - true I've had some hiccups this summer but nothing where I'd let it affect my performance at Cabrini. It upset me more that the Dean thought I was projecting that image. Nothing I can do about it now.

It's rained both days I worked so far this week; so the pool hasn't been busy. It's definitely nice to get a few things done when I can.

Went to see Despicable Me on Tuesday night. It was hilarious! I want to go see it again. Seriously - it's adorable and cute and totally adult friendly. Lots of things I was laughing at that the kids weren't. Awesomeness :-)

Parker texted me Tuesday night telling me he is making his trip (finally) to PA. Gettysburgh then Harrisburg. Not super close to here but I'm going to try and convince him to swing this way at some point. It's so last minute but I'd be pretty upset if I didn't get to see him and he was in PA. Hopefully we can work something out.

I'm off today - lots of errands/things to accomplish. I need to pick up my new contacts, spin class at noon or maybe I'll go for a ride on my bike (afterall I did get it!), study a bit of my praxis, possibly get a manicure, watch the Open Championship (c'mon Tiger!!!), maybe go to Scoogi's tonight.

The rest of the weekend I have to work (early every day) but I think I'll be able to accomplish a lot this weekend.

A new vision....

Two days into 29 and I'm feeling young again :-)

Firstly - the Birthday weekend was great! More good things ahead this coming weekend - Dinner/Shopping/Movie with Netty and Sleepover with Jackie followed by yummy brunch (zomg stuffed french toast!) from Sabrinas. yay! Can't wait :-)

The Phils game was awesome! Met up with Jackie and Mark before hand and went to Stogie Joe's - which is OMG amazing. They have great food! Good company :) We met up with a few of Mark's friends and headed to CBP. Our seats:



Were pretty freakin' awesome to say the least. Roy Halladay pitched and Jimmy Rollin's had the hit to score the winning run! Go Phils! They ended up sweeping the Reds. Good way to go into the All-Star break. Good times with my bestest!



Sunday (my actual birth day) was filled with the usual. Spin class. Visit to dad's. Run some last minute errands for the bbq festivities. Watch the World Cup final. Yeah España! My guards eventually congregated - slowly trickling after 7 and then the rest showed up after 8:30. A pic of our group:


Randy came over too - but he had to leave early because he has a normal job :-) But it was nice to see him! Hopefully well see each other again soon.

Overall, I definitely can't complain about the birthday. Next year - I'm planning a big party! Details to come in the distant future......

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On to the post title - I've decided a few things in my old age (haha):

I will not allow the small things to keep me up at night any more.

I will have MORE fun this year than I ever have.

I will take more risks/chances in life. It makes things exciting!

I will take better care of my body and not put so much junk into it.

I will not freak out if I don't have a house, family, and job at this point in my life. It could be a hell of a lot worse. A HELL OF A LOT worse.

I'm not in it to win it...I'm in it for you

I heart that Train song so much right now. They're new album (I use the term new loosely since it's not that new) is pretty uplifting. I seriously played "Hey, Soul Sister" like a bazillion (yes, that's a technical term) times.

I was thinking last night - 'what have I done in the past for my birthday?' Yup. It's tomorrow. Just kind of feels like another day to me this year. Not sure why. 29 is pretty anti-climactic. Next year - well - we'll talk about next year, next year. But for fun, I though I'd look back on what I've done in the past for my birthday(s).

28: My friend Josh (who also shares the same birthday as me) had a party at his house. I went there with some of my friends and then they came out with me for my birthday. The pictures are on FB. I lost the hard copies when I lost my HD in the crash. This was our group that night (post josh's party).

27: I was on the BBX shoot in Michigan! Wow! It feels like so much longer ago. That was an awesome Birthday. The whole crew went bowling that night :-) All for me. They all sang happy birthday in the bowling alley (listen, we were in the middle of nowhere - it's all there was to do! ha). It was a pretty fun night. I had a bit of a hangover during our shoot the next day. But totally worth it.

26: Celebrated with my friends at Pat O'Briens at Universal City Walk. It was an awesome time! Let's just say - I found out they had an elevator that night ;-) - greg did too! hehe. This pic is my friend Chris and I when he got there (late).

25: I think I came home for this? I'm not entirely sure what I did for my 25th birthday. I feel like I came home for it. It was at this point in my life I hadn't made that many friends in Orlando and I feel like I might have planned to come home that weekend and celebrated with my friends? Not sure (is that bad that I can't remember that? haha)

24: I was in Michigan. My mom came to visit me and helped me buy some new furniture for my new apartment. She took me out for dinner and I am pretty sure I went out with my friends for the night.

23: I was in Michigan still. My mom and cousin Allison came to visit me. I was still living in Deerfield Village. I stayed at CMU for the summer because I was taking a Summer class. I was also working at Roth Electric. I remember they made me a cake. I miss them. They were the nicest people.

22: I was in PA. It was a pretty sad birthday for me. I am pretty sure I didn't do anything extravagant. That summer was pretty sucky for me. I stayed at my Aunt and Uncle's. I think we might have had a BBQ at the circle since I didn't want to do anything.

21: This one - oh boy. This one was pretty insane. If I could upload pics from this night, you wouldn't believe me. I went with my mom, sister and Derek to the Manayunk Brew Pub. Definitely a good time. Drank WAY too much - but my mom picked up the tab so that was all sorts of awesome. The next night I had my friends over to drink and celebrate. I drank so much from the night before that I didn't drink anything that night. Oops!

20: I celebrated this birthday in the Inner Harbor with Derek. He was on an internship with the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and he was in Maryland for the summer. I remember us getting into a fight that night for a few stupid reasons....but the evening ended splendidly ;-) I think we also went to an Orioles/Yankees game that weekend.

19: I think I just celebrated here at home. I remember Derek coming home from college (he was taking summer classes at PSU). I think we just went out to dinner. Again - not a very spectacular bday - I mean - 19 - c'mon.

18: This birthday was rockin'. I had people over to my grandmom's pool in Narberth. Tons of fun - lots of food. Good times.

17: Went to the Hard Rock Cafe Philly with a big group of people. [[Sidenote: I plan on doing this again this year with Josh (per his suggestion) since we can't celebrate our Bday's together this year]]. I was dating Joe at the time so I know he was there. I can't remember who else was there - but it was a fun night.

16: Amazing day - I got my permit that morning (first test of the day! and oh yeah, JUST passed - I got the most you could get wrong and still pass, three). After I got home, my dad stopped by with a new car! Totally unexpected and unwarranted. I never expected to be one of those kids that got a car on their 16th birthday! I immediately took it out for a drive. My sister was working that day. I remember driving up to see her with my dad.

I can't really remember a whole lot of other birthdays - with the exception of the last one I had when I was little - my 10th Birthday.

Since my birthday is in the Summer, I used to have my party (for my school friends - because most of them went to sleepaway camp - yes, most of them were jewish) in June, just a week or two after school was out. This birthday party was epic. It lasted more than a day. Chain of events: 11am - everyone meets at my house, we drive over to my grandmom's house to swim. 5pm - we head back to my house, have dinner and cake and then my friends sleep over. Friends don't leave until noon the next day. It was an awesome birthday. [[Sidenote: While this birthday was all sorts of awesome, I failed to mention the part where all my friends and I were downstairs in our sleeping bags and could actually hear my parents fighting upstairs. Yeah. That was awesome. Also. After my friends left the next day. My dad left shortly thereafter. Yup]]

All that being said - maybe that's why I can't remember the birthdays between 10 and 16.

This year - well - this year I didn't really plan anything. I'm going to the Phillies Game tonight. I'm having a BBQ at my house (per my guards' request) tomorrow. It was more a compromise since they basically said they were going to come over anyway - so I just told them I'd have a BBQ then. We'll see how many of them actually show up.

Ultimate Frisbee!

Is Amazing! I don't know why I haven't played before.

Do you know what's worth fighting for?

A little bit of Green Day this morning. I'm really looking forward to seeing The Musical in August. That weekend in August (13th, 14th, 15th) is due to be a pretty epic weekend. Friday is the BNL Concert @ Radio City Music Hall, Saturday is American Idiot on Broadway, and Sunday is Paul McCartney @ The Linc. Did I mention I have bangin' seats for all of them? Ha. Getting older does have it's advantages some times. You have more money to pay for better seats!

On to different matters.......

July 4th came and went. It was a busy day at PSC. And since then, it's been HOT HOT HOT. Today it's ONLY going up to 92. Ha. The past few days it was over 100. Yikes. Hopefully it'll get a little cooler for the weekend. I'm going to the Phils game on Saturday. Very excited about that. Tailgate all day and the game at night. Sunday is my birthday. um. yeeeeeah. More on that later.

Last night I went out with Paul to Seasons 52. For my birthday :-) It was an amazing dinner! ha. amazing. Our waitress used that adjective for EVERYTHING on the menu. But honestly. It's pretty true. So good. I'm so glad they opened one up here. The food on the menu changes seasonally and it's all fresh. We ordered a bottle of wine for dinner and just enjoyed each others company. I can't help but be so thankful to have a friend like Paul. For as long as we've been friends, and the slight/minor tiffs (if we've ever had them), it's fantastic that we never get tired of each other. Always happy when I hang out with him :-) Thanks Paul!!!! I highly recommend going to Seasons 52 and also, finding a Paul for yourself! haha.

I'm working today and tomorrow and then I'm off the rest of the weekend (including Monday). Had I planned it better I would've gotten a ticket to O-town for the weekend. Hung out with my friends down there. I miss them. Some of them are going through stuff right now that I wish I was there to (metaphorically) be a shoulder to lean on. I suppose part of growing up is realizing you can't be everywhere all the time. But, phone calls are just as easy. But I digress.....

What are my plans for my birthday weekend? hrm. Phils game Saturday. I might go watch the Cancer Bike Ride in NJ on Sunday Morning....but I don't have any plans really. My dad will be back from OBX that day, so I'm sure I'll stop by his house to see him and Joanne. I might just go to my grandparents and layout. I kind of need to work on my tan. haha. it's awkward. :-) I don't know. Aren't I so exciting? To be honest, I'm really not happy about this particular birthday. Nothing great about turning 29. Nothing. Maybe I'll get out of this funk by then and be motivated to do something.

The beginning of the end....?

Possibly. Maybe.

Today - July 3 - is not a significant day at all. Tomorrow is our nation's independence day (I feel a reference to the movie coming on). But really, I'm kind of deflated. This whole week. I've just been kind of deflated.

A few reasons why....

-My month and a half of crazy schedule is over so I'm not as busy as I was. And although I'm glad to have more time on my hands, I feel like I'm not doing enough (ha, not doing enough with just two jobs!).

-I'm worn out. I need a vacation basically. My dad and stepmom are on their way to the OBX this morning for a week with Joanne's family. Under normal circumstances I'd just say, have a good time. But at this point, I'd honestly love to be going with them. I just need a week of decompression, a week of doing nothing. A week of relaxing and a week with some friends.

-I'm really missing Florida this week. The 4th wasn't the biggest holiday there but we always did some fun stuff. Two summers ago I celebrated and then made the trip to Michigan for BBX taping. Last summer, I believe we had a nice BBQ and then set off some fireworks in our front yard :-) haha.

-I'm kind of bored. To be honest. I suppose I should start reading or something. Maybe I'll bring a book with me to work today. Definitely not tomorrow, but today - might be good. We didn't have that many people at the pool yesterday (which either means they were all busy preparing for the weekend or they are all heading down the shore). Either way - Sunday is going to be a crazy day.

-I'm really not happy about my birthday at all this year. Normally I'm really looking forward to it. But this year I'm pretty indifferent to it. I don't really even care that it's in 8 days. I'm going to the phillies game the night before, but, I don't know, it just doesn't feel like it should be my birthday this year.

-I had a few bad dreams this week. Annoying. VERY annoying. And had a nasty comment made to me at work yesterday.

So all in all, this week has been odd.

Some good things that DID happen this week:

-Met up with AB for dinner on Tuesday! So great to see him. We had a nice chat over drinks and dinner.

-Saw Gus gus' swim meet on Tuesday night after dinner. He swam really well! I was/am so proud of him.

-Reconnected with an old friend (Amy) and hope to get together with her soon.

-Lifeguard relays at PSC. Hilarious. Just hilarious. Only not so hilarious part was them all throwing me in the pool afterwards. yeah. I guess they'd only do that if they liked me, right? (that's what I keep telling myself)

-Finally figured out what is wrong with my eyes. Turns out I have a really thin layer connecting the back of my eyes to my socket. If I see bolts of light or black spots, I need to call a doc asap - it means my eye has torn away and could be detrimental to my eye sight. Turns out it's pretty common in fair skinned people. And when I asked dr goldberg how it happens he said, "oh, it's mainly due to aging". sweet.

-My bike is FINALLY ready! Now, finding the time to pick it up - that's the next obstacle. ha.

Anywho - off for another fun day at psc. Most likely an update tomorrow. Adieu!