They yester, and I’m today....

Seriously diggin' the new Lupe Fiasco Album. If you haven't heard of him or it - check it out. Lasers by Lupe Fiasco. He's pretty awesome.

And now for something completely different.....(anyone? bueller?) Please tell me SOMEONE knows the phrase and/or spinoff show.....

Guess I'm just a Monty Python nerd then :-)

So I ran the Phillies 5k yesterday! OMG it was awesomesauce! I totally PRed with a 23:37. Just over 7 and a half minute miles. I can't believe how fast I was running - that's fast for me atleast. A few pictures:
















My Results:
KATIE FITZGERALD Overall: 165/3000 Official Time:23:39  Pace:7:37    Age Division Place(20-29):15/594   Sex Division Place: 30/1410  F

Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased with the race! I PRed and I felt great. Only bad part about yesterday was the allergy attack I had immediately following the race. No joke - sneeze-o-mania! Thankfully I was able to go to the drug store and get some Allegra. It has since helped!

I went to a house warming party last night for Jack's and Mark! Fun times as always :-) No rock band was broken out (hehe)...maybe next time! lol :-)

Today I got up (I got a sub for my spin class) and ran 7.6 miles. I felt GREAT! It's COOOOLD out there and I should remember to wear vasoline on my face from now on when I run outside but other than that - I felt so great! About 1 month til Broad Street. Here's hoping it's another PR!

I should really be doing homework right now but I'm heading out shortly to meet up with one of my swimmers' parents for an end of the season recap. It'll be nice to see her and see how her daughter is doing with track so far.

Other than that - another busy week ahead. We have THREE lacrosse games this week - ALL AWAY - ugh. I'm trying to arrange a happy hour/hang out with the coaches after the game on Friday since we'll all already be together. Hopefully that can work out.

Lots of things coming down the pike - two research papers, a presentation, getting student teaching together, finding a summer job, more running, more reading, more researching, more coaching, etc. Who has time for a social life? ha - not me - oh that's good cause I don't have one anyway :-)

Alrighty - time to go get ready. Ciao!

Just the way you are.....

Anyone like that Bruno Mars song? It's one of my favorite jams at the moment. Yes, I just said "jams" and no, I'm not apologizing for it. I work with high school/middle schoolers.....I have to have the lingo down! :-)

It got me to thinking....that song....stick with me here....Lately, I've definitely come more into my own. By this I mean I'm more confident in the person I am - Just the way I am. I don't make excuses for the things I like or dislike. I don't feel the need to justify to people why I want to do things or not do things. I'm liking this version of myself. Maybe it's the Katie that I always was, just took me awhile to find it. I think it takes all of your 20's to realize that.

Speaking of all of my 20's...I have been very lackadaisical about finishing my 30 in 30. Suggestions? Keep them coming....I need at least 12 more....

I was thinking the other day - as I was driving - how different November was compared to September (remember that month? It was a terrible one for me)....and yes, I skipped over October...that still wasn't the greatest month either. But November. November is by far the best of the Fall months (so far). Weird that we're on the cusp of December - TOMORROW! Can you believe it?! 2010 is almost over. I feel like I haven't even accomplished nearly half of the things I wanted to. Cest la vie, right? It happens. Life gets in the way...or as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."

Some updates before I head out for a nice SLOW run (outside, in the cold...eek!):
COACHING
-I still heart it....I'm slowly getting the girls to come around to me. Granted, I have since allowed them to start practicing with their aquatic clubs - hopefully this'll change as the season progresses. You have no idea how difficulty it is for me to compromise on this. I know I shouldn't take it personally but I don't really feel as though in just a week and a half they've given me a chance. But, it is what it is....and maybe in a few weeks time they'll prefer to be at my practices instead of the others...
-It's forcing me to remain more vigilant in my organization. I'm generally pretty organized, but every so often I kind of let it fall by the way-side. I think this'll be good for me in the long run.
-Some of the girls (and the boys) are really receptive to my suggestions in and out of the pool. It's kind of nice....I don't know how else to describe that :-)

SCHOOL
-Had my last class of the semester for Cabrini last night. I was a little displeased since I had to leave coaching early just to go to this class that ended up being about 30 mins. All we ended up doing was handing in a project. Bleh.
-Next semester I have class again on Mondays but it's at 7:15 which is great because then I won't have to worry about leaving practices early.
-I've managed to switch my GPS schedule so I'll be working during the day from 11-2 and then not have to worry about going back there or leaving practice early. This is awesome news! I start this schedule today.

HOME
-My mother has been on a rampage in the last few weeks. She's basically yelling at my sister and I like it's her job. And honestly, right now, it kind of is. She doesn't go back to school until January (OMG kill me now) and so shes bored. She doesn't have anything else going on in her life. I can understand it. I just think she should take her frustrations out on something else....I'm so tired of it. Kelly takes it much harder than I do....I just kind of hand it back to her in a rational way - which makes her realize shes overreacting to a lot of stuff and it's not really us she's mad at. Kelly just kind of gets upset and starts to cry. And I'm not gonna say it's easy to have your mom speak to you the way she does to either of us...but in reality, it's not personal. We just have to kind of realize it.
[[Sidenote: In fact - most of the times when people yell at each other, it's not always because they're mad at YOU, they're mad a the situation they're in. I can 100% say this is the case with my mom. Something else is bothering her and the fact that she has the time to think about everything makes it THAT much more difficult for her to get past the fact that in a year's time, pretty much everything she's yelling about won't matter. It's all about perspective.]]

-My goal is to find a job over the summer so I can finally earn enough money and move out - I don't want to still be there this time next year. I need my own place. Preferably somewhere around the mainline so my commute to LMHS, Baldwin and Cabrini isn't as bad. We'll see how that goes.

MONEY
-yup, still don't have much. And with the holiday's coming up - I'm nervous about being able to buy things for my family. That's all I'm going to say about that.

PAUL COMES HOME ON DECEMBER 24th! YAY! :-D

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”~Oliver Wendell Holmes

I've kind of been a recluse this week. Honestly - I've had a lot of things going on. Swim season starts TOMORROW! Yeah baby! And I have some major projects to accomplish. One of them being my Unit Plan for my Education class. The list is as follows:

1. Unit Plan for ENG/COM 489 - I started this awhile ago but stopped because the teacher kind of changed around the project - so I started to revamp it Monday - got "so" far, and then stopped - today is my day to try and tackle as much as I can. It's due on the 29th but with Thanksgiving next week and a birthday (YEAH JACKS!) in there - I want to not have to worry about it.

2. Meetings - meetings - meetings! Eeek. There have been a lot of these lately - and that's mainly because of swimming. Last week I had five meetings (alone) for swimming. This week I met with the Harriton coach to look at what equipment we needed (Monday), met with Don and Paul (yesterday) about Friday and the things for the season (ie. morning and weekend practices), I have a meeting tonight at 7 to learn meet manager for the season (should be a blast - not), and tomorrow is the start of swim season!

3. A change to my Cabrini schedule - I believe they're going to allow me to do this BUT it's not official yet. Hopefully I'll know by today. Since swim practices are in the afternoon - it makes it difficult for me to get to Cabrini on time and even at all - so I've asked to do my grad asst. stuff during the day, three times a week (like 11-2, tuesday, wed, and thurs). So far, everyone seems to be cool with it...as am I because then I won't have to worry about leaving the girls early from practice.

4. Reviewing Gary's Thesis paper - he's asked me to take a look at his upcoming PhD paper and make any changes on it. I'm very honored that he values my opinion so highly. I just hope the additions and/or changes I make don't send him for a loop. It's a great topic so I think it'll be easy for him to see why I made some additions or changes.

5. Baldwin coaching - yup - I'm still doing this. And additionally, I'm giving private lessons (yes, extra money!) so it's keeping me busy on the weekends too. I think with the addition of this and weekend practices, I'll be booked out the wazoo(sp) on my weekends - I guess I'll have no life for a few months - hahah, who are we kidding, I don't have a life now! :-)

6. Last week I house/babysat for gus and will again. It was nice to make a little bit of extra cash - which went directly to buying a brand new battery for my computer because the old one was dead (RIP). It's amazing though, it was the original battery that came with the computer four or so years ago. But I digress.....I'll be house/babysitting for them again on the 29th/30th because their mom is having some kind of surgery so I'll be hangin with them at the house.

7. Speaking of house sitting - I'll be watching my aunt and uncle's dog while they're in Conn. over thanksgiving from Thursday night til Saturday Morning. A nice little bit of extra money there too. And I'll be hangin with Zack for a week in January (again, more moolah). It actually works out really well because they live (literally) down the road from Baldwin and SO MUCH CLOSER to LM so that'll save me some gas that week.

8. Speaking of gas - I realized last week how great it would've been to have a hybrid. I used SO much gas because I did SO much driving. Crazy.

9. I have to figure out what/how I'm going to handle my swim team this year. Right now I have something like 35 girls signed up....I have three lanes....yeah. That's a terrible number. I've asked all of the girls (even the ones who swim for aquatic clubs) to come to my practices for the time being). I don't know how we're going to do this...but...hopefully a lot of them decide not to come back after the first few practices (I'm planning on making them pretty tough). We'll see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obviously, trying to relate to the subject quote - I'm moving forward....in every area of my life.

I mentioned in my first paragraph that I've been kind of a recluse.....I've been trying to keep busy. Not necessarily to keep my mind from wandering but I feel the most productive this way.

To be honest - it's been a fantastic week! I've had a few guys ask me out - no deets on that yet because I said no since I'm so busy. I've also had fantastic weeks in class and at work (I got an A on my research paper and lots of good things coming from school for swimming - minus some crazy parents). Just lots of good things happening this week. It's great!

Just keep moving forward. While looking back and nostalgia can be nice (some times) - that's what it is...looking back. I don't want to do that. I have so many awesome things waiting for me! Speaking of which - I'm stuck on ideas for my 30 in 30.....anyone have any suggestions?

Nothing Fancy

Ok ok - I couldn't think of a fancy schmancy blog title - plus my mind is utterly blank right now. Not sure if that's a good thing or what just yet since I'm taking the GRE's tomorrow morning - p.s. I'm doing terribly on the practice tests. Ha.

Updates in life:
1. As we know, I went to the Phillies game last Wednesday (Yeah doc!). It was...a date. Yes. It was. An awesome one at that. Tough to top. With Brian. A friend from high school. I really like hanging out with him. He's a nice guy. We're going to the NLCS Game 1 this Saturday. Yep. It's another date. We'll see how it goes.

2. I am, as I mentioned at the beginning, taking the GRE's tomorrow morning. 8AM. Bright and Early. Why? Well. It creates another option for me. Should I be doing this? Who knows. But I am. Honestly, part of me thinks I should just postpone it....but oh well. I basically have to get better than 600 on both the verbal and quantitative sections (read: english and math) and an essay score of 4 or better (out of 6). Oh yeah and the verbal and quantitative sections are out of 800. Eek! I didn't even get that high on my SAT's. A good standardized test taker I am not. So. We'll see. I'm just gonna bite the bullet and do it. Then...we start the application process.

3. Elsewhere - although I am taking the GRE's tomorrow - I think I am just going to hunker down and finish the content courses I need and suck it up. As much as I despise living at home - this is what has to be done right now. It's not forever. I will get out of there. Maybe I'll win the lottery in the mean time? :-)

4. I am still up for the Girls Head Coaching Job at LMHS. Thinks good thoughts for me! I'm supposed to go in for an interview some time soon - so here's hoping!

5. I have no money like woah. yeah. awesomeness.

6. The RTFoundation Beef and Beer is tomorrow night. It's our second one. I think we'll have a good showing. I honestly feel badly because I feel as though I haven't done much in preparing for it....but I HAVE been busy. It's a lame excuse. I'm a terrible person. Bleh.

7. I have this research paper I have to write for my Education class. I've decided to write about the stress and stressors that secondary students deal with today. So many kids have so much more than just school to worry about. I think it's only fair, as teachers, that we acknowledge that.

8. I am working on a 30 in 30 list. If you didn't see the explanation in the last post, this list will consist of 30 things for me to do/accomplish in my 30th year. Luckily I have a little while before that happens, but I have one year to do all of it - which basically means I have to do a little more than 2 things each month in order to finish the list by the time I hit 31. Eek! Can you believe this? I'm nearly 30!? Where does the time go?

So there ya go. Nothing Fancy. Just the facts.

O-bla-di O-bla-da, Life Goes On....

And so it goes.

Life is a funny thing. So fleeting. So - here one day, gone the next. So - odd.

We had to say goodbye to our beloved dog last night. My dad and Joanne had to sadly take her to the vet this morning. Losing a person is one of the hardest things you ever have to do.....especially when it's sudden. And even when it's not, and you know they're older and nearing the time for "the big sleep", it's still difficult to say goodbye. Now, think about how much harder it is to say goodbye to a pet. And not just any pet, but a pet that's SO loyal and loving in the most unconditional way. It's hearbreaking.

I'm not saying losing a person is in any way the same as losing a pet. In some ways it's harder and in others it easier (in both respects).

I had to say goodbye to two friends yesterday. The first, was Jessie. Our beloved doggie. The pup. My dog:-) I picked Jessie out. I came up with the idea for her name. She looked like a jessie, whatdya want? And so it was. And for 11 years, we had the BEST dog ever. She was the most spoiled being on the planet. Trust me. She was. She was ALWAYS there when I was sad; licking away the tears and pawing at me to remind me that even though I was sad, it wasn't about me...it was her turn and she needed to be touched:-) Oh that dog. Ha. She was a character. She'll always be the best.


I've lost two other dogs, that were vicariously mine - really they were Trish's (Deuce and Syndey) - but it was just as sad. I never got to say goodbye to them. In some ways I think it's harder to say goodbye than to miss out on it. Similar to Rachel. I never got to say goodbye...and although it was such a shocking experience with Rachel, I still think saying goodbye would've been MUCH harder.

The other person I had to say goodbye to yesterday was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Although I hardly saw him, Ephraim Rigefvsky was a great man. He was Allan's grandfather. I had met him a handful of times and every time he and his wife, Minerva (Allan's Grandmom), welcomed me into their home. Such caring and giving people. Allan texted me on Monday telling me the sad news. He flew in Tuesday and the Funeral/Service was Wednesday morning. I told him I wanted to be there for him. I knew he would need someone too. It's difficult to always be the one that has to be strong - Allan is that kind of person. I didn't get to see Allan much but with a few hugs, I think that was more helpful than any amount of time I could've spent with him. His grandfather was a great man and an honorable one too (he had an honorable memorial from the army - flag folding, taps playing and all.

There weren't a ton of people in the funeral service but I guess when you get older, all your friends are either there or waiting for you on the other side....

Death is a funny thing. It gets you thinking - am I doing things right? Am I living my life to the fullest? What if I'm gone tomorrow...when I look back on my life to this point, am I proud of the choices I've made? What would I change? Am I doing enough? What am I missing?

I've decided - in the next year and a half - until I turn 31 - so now through my 30th year of life - I will have a list. A list of things I want to do and/or accomplish. 30 in 30 (not the ESPN show).

30 things in my 30th year. I've started the list - I only have four things on it - but I'm working on it. I figure I have until next July to have the list completed - and until the following one to actually do everything. I actually got the idea from my friend Laurie who did 34 things for her 34th birthday. She did some pretty awesome things! Hopefully I can think of some good ones, otherwise I'm stealin' em from laurie :-)

"Maybe This Time....

I'll be Lucky...."

So I started a new semester at Cabrini yesterday. I hate to say it - but as much as I love school and learning - I'm just not into school mode yet. Summer hasn't ended for me yet and our prof threw ALL this work at us. And by all this work I mean more work than I'm used to doing in a semester - of course - if you go based on what I had to do in previous classes/semesters you'd probably say, "katie, this is just the normal amount of work required from normal professors". Well you know what I have to say to that? HAHAHAHAHAHA I don't care. It's too much.

Here's what too much is:
1. Weekly Posts on WEBCT (which is Cabrini's answer to blackboard/online classroom) - that involve 2-3 paragraphs in response to our reading (usually 3 chapters) and THEN a 1-2 paragraph response to someone else's post.
2. A UNIT PLAN (thank god I already have this finished from a previous class) with 20+ lessons in it.
3. A presentation and research paper (5-7 pages) which isn't too bad because I suppose I can re-purpose one from a previous class as well but it's the pain that I have to go through to do it.
4. Class participation (not that this is a problem but ya know).

There are a few good things about the prof. She's HILARIOUS (even if she did go to penn state haha - kidding penn staters!). She knows her stuff. She seems pretty fair. She also seems like shes completely disorganized which is pretty endearing. Her attendance policy is that in which I can probably miss two classes - which is fantastic since I already know I'll be missing class on November 1 since I'll be making my journey back from Spain :-)

I also found out last night that had I known - I could've started student teaching in OCTOBER! But thinking about it, it's just as well I didn't do this. I wouldn't be able to see Paul in October. It would be hell with swimming and such. I'll just deal with the semester as it is - get through it - hopefully find a job during the day - and then do my thing in the spring.


'Lady Peaceful,' 'Lady Happy,'
That's what I long to be

Lately - I've been a bit down. I don't think it's THAT noticeable - but there are a few things going on with me. One of them is surely that I am depressed I am STILL living at home and there is nothing I can do about it.

Money is becoming an issue. My mom suggested I ask my Aunt Kim to help me out with my student teaching semester. Why? Well. Student teaching is 9 credits. My Graduate Assistantship only covers 3 credits....so I have to pay 6 more credits. I COULD do this...but...I will literally have no money left in my bank account if I do.....which only puts off moving out of the house for even longer. My sanity will not sustain this.

All the odds are in my favor
Something's bound to begin
It's got to happen, happen sometime
Maybe this time I'll win

All that being said - I do still have a positive/optimistic outlook on things. I do think things will work out for me. It'll just take longer than I wanted. Anyone that knows me knows I don't have a ton of patience for my own life. Ha. That's an understatement.

With summer winding down - I'll miss PSC and my guards - even though there have been a bunch of headaches this year. There have been some amazing memories that I'll cherish forever. So glad I never worked there as a high schooler - I think it would've ruined my experience with these young men and women this summer. I suppose one of the biggest reasons I'll miss them is because I don't feel so alone when I'm there. Even though some of them have boyfriends/girlfriends - most of them just do their own thing. Doesn't make me feel so pathetic.

"Maybe this time..."
What to expect for the fall:
-Last Cert class at Cabrini (see above)
-BSC Swimming/Shipley* Swimming
-Another PT job?
-Trip to Orlando!
-Trip to Spain!
-Trip to NC to visit Parker!
-ING Rock N' Roll Half Marathon!
-Philly Half Marathon?


I'm sure there's more - but most of that will keep me pretty busy.

Thinking good thoughts :-)

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.”

I read that quote this morning - I love it. It's true. VERY true. There has been a lot going on since I last updated after the BNL concert. Let's take a look back, shall we?

Sunday Night we went to the Sir Paul McCartney Concert:

7th Row Doesn't Suck Either!





From Sunday, we moved on to a wonderful EARLY day at PSC followed by a going away BBQ for a few of my guards that left for college this week. I pulled out the moonbounce an mike brought over PSC's famous slip and slide...we ordered pizza and played some rockband once the rain started to fall:







Tuesday was another EARLY day at PSC, followed by an evening with the same kiddo's from PSC for a "last supper" as they like to say, at Applebee's. Apparently there is half price appetizers after 9 - so on to Applebee's it was....I didn't take any pictures there but you can figure out who's there.

Wednesday I had OFF from PSC - went on a nice long 9 mile run! 1 hr 20 mins. Not as fast as I'd like to go but that's ok - I have a month before the half marathon so I'm ok with it. (I haven't run since Wednesday - technically today is a running day but I'm so tired - I'm going to just move it to tomorrow) Went to the PHILLIES GAME! and had the best seats EVER. Seriously, from now on, wherever I sit will never be as good....a few pics from the game:






I also took video of a few of the guys (hehe, CHASE!) and because my camera died toward the end - I happened to get Dominic Brown's Pinch Hit Homer. Amazing! It can all be seen on my facebook if you're so inclined :-)

Oh yeah, and the Phillies won!

Thursday, I had to work LATE at PSC so I did Yoga in the morning. It felt good. It's been awhile - forgot how much I love yoga. Made me feel really energetic despite being so tired at this point in the week. Work was just whatever. But afterwards I went to my friend Jenn's house and had dinner and caught up. Jenn is a friend from Albright and a Phi Mu Sister at that :-) It was SO AMAZING to catch up. We've decided we are making it a regular thing :-) Love her!

Friday, I worked EARLY/LATE at PSC. It was Ladies Night so I went in a little later. Went to my much beloved Spin Class with Maria and then headed on over to PSC. The day was pretty whatever but I was so grateful all the vendors showed up and there was a lot of interest from the members. I'm definitely going to try and have it earlier in the summer next time - and hopefully have some more vendors too. I think it went really well. [[Sidenote: We turned the water on in the INT pool around 6:30 and it was on a trickle...guess who forgot to turn it off and ended up going back to PSC at 11 last night to turn it off? Yep. That'd be me. Ha. Oh boy.]]

Today is Saturday - I'm working LATE - and then I'm OFF tomorrow. THANK THE LORD! I don't have any plans for tonight except to come home and probably go to bed early. I'm exhaustified. It's been a long week. I do think I'll swim at PSC today - just cause I'm not gonna run until tomorrow eve though I technically SHOULD run. I want to give my body an extra day to recoup. I think it'll be good for a nice long run tomorrow. :-)

In other news...a dear dear friend of mine has gotten sick in Chicago. Please think good thoughts for her. The doctors seem to think she might have West Nile Virus. OMG. Yeah. I wish there was something I could do to help. I would've been on a plane last night if I could get out of work and didn't have classes starting Monday.

Speaking of which, Classes at Cabrini start on Monday :-) My last cert class until I student teach. Also - I passed my Praxis II's! YAY! So now all I have to do is take this class, and student teach and I'm a teacher! So yay for that!

What else...oh, I haven't seen my best friend Jackie in forever! This can not continue!!!!

If you question what I would do

To get over and be with you
Lift you up over everything
To light up my room ~ Barenaked Ladies, Light up My Room

It's one of my favorite BNL songs and THEY PLAYED IT on FRIDAY!!! YESSSSS!

Radio City Music Hall Set List

Kelly also booted the concert - which is fantastic because they played a medley of pop songs at the end of their encore. Fabulous! Haha - seriously love the band :-)







New York was fun. We got there early on Friday and went for some drinks and mexican - as can be seen on my facebook. The concert was Friday night and then Saturday I used the hotel gym, went to brunch at VYNL. Good food. Very cool atmosphere.




That afternoon we went to see American Idiot and it was fantastic. It was Loud. Bright. Emotional. Fun. I definitely am so glad I saw it.




We got back from NYC around 6:30 yesterday. I was pretty tired. I didn't sleep at all in the hotel the night before. Most likely because it was not my own bed. Oh well.

Today is a new day! I am planning on going for a bike ride and then doing nothing until the SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY CONCERT tonight! OMG I can't wait - I think the last time I saw him I was in high school...so...it's about time :-) Then back to PSC tomorrow. It's weird not having been there for three days....I suppose I should get used to it because once summer is over, I won't be there at all! Yikes!

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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!

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.