Sorry, I've got to run...

My alarm went off bright and early this morning at 6:20.  I actually got up and put on workout clothes and went running! (I know, I know, it was a shocker for me too).  Two other girls in my Ward were talking about running at our RS Activity on Tuesday and invited me along, though they may be regretting that decision now.  

I ran cross country for three years in high school and although it was really hard, it did feel good to be in such great shape.  I got pretty lazy while I was at Snow, but then as a missionary we were required to work out for half an hour every day.  I went running quite a bit, and with that and all the walking we did was probably in the best shape of my life.  Unfortunately, since then I have slowly declined in enthusiasm and toned legs. But, I always say, if I just had someone to work out with I'm sure I would do it!  Well, we did it all right and I about died.  Kylee and Tilly have both run on and off but turns out they are both in better shape than I am.  I felt pretty good at first, but we were going up a ridiculously steep hill and pretty soon I was completely out of breath.  "Go on ahead!"  I say and they keep working there way up the hill right about the time I feel like I'm gonna pass out.  Good thing there was a wall to sit on by the road.  I sat for a few minutes feeling totally lame until I started to feel ok again.  Kylee and Tilly graciously returned to retrieve me and we walked for the next ten minutes or so.  Once we started back down hill I was feeling pretty good again and we actually ran all the way back to where they dropped me off at my apartment.  

Well, despite how silly I feel for getting sick within the first 10 minutes, I still am proud of myself for actually getting up and going out.  Running is definitely more fun with others and it will be so nice to get back into shape. We're going again tomorrow and as often as we can in the coming week. Yay for newfound motivation!

The Tortoise and the Hare

One day a hare was bragging about how fast he could run. He bragged and bragged and even laughed at the tortoise who was so slow. The tortoise stretched out his long neck and challenged the hare to a race, which of course, made the hare laugh.  

"My, my, what a joke!" thought the hare. "A race, indeed, a race. Oh! what fun! My, my, a race, of course Mr. Tortoise, we shall race!"

The forest animals met and mapped out the course. The race began and the hare, being such a swift runner, soon left the tortoise far behind. About halfway through the course it occurred to the hare that he had plenty of time to beat the slow trodden tortoise.

"Oh my!" thought the hare, "I have plenty of time to play in the meadow here."

And so he did.

After the hare finished playing, he decided that he also had time to take a little nap.

"I have plenty of time to beat that tortoise," he though. And he cuddled up against a tree and dozed.

The sun started to sink and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish. At that very point the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he'd be first at the finish. But the hare's last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare!

"Slow and steady wins the race!" the tortoise said.

I woke up this morning thinking about this story. Maybe I had a dream about it, but for some reason it was really on my mind.  It is an important story after all.  All too often I am just like that hare and one day it is probably going to get me into trouble.  Good thing Aesop thought of all those fables to teach us important lessons like this. From now on, I'm going to try to be a little less like the hare and a little more like the tortoise.

Remember these?

Remember CD's?  Remember when we all used to buy them and they were SO much cooler than tapes? (Remember tapes??) As part of my organizing spree I got out all my old CD's (not that I really ever had that many) and have been uploading them onto my iTunes.  I'm still keeping some of them, but once they are all uploaded I'm getting rid of about half of my collection. I've never been a big music guru like my brother so most of the CD's I have just represent phases in my life (or influence from my peers). Rascal Flatts when I liked country, Blink 182 when I liked alternative, Dashboard Confessional when I was into that moody punk stuff...I've never really had a favorite band, I mean a real favorite--one that was my favorite once and is still my favorite today.  Is that lame?  I don't think so.  But more importantly, do you think CD's will ever be cool to our kids like vinyl records are to us?  Phil says no.  Bummer. 

Spring Break officially begins tomorrow (although I have already been treating the last three days--since I got out of my class on Friday--as Spring break).  I am so thrilled to have a week off, and lucky me somehow managed to only be scheduled to work one party at the Lion House, so I hardly have to do anything at all!  Of course I do have a couple of projects that I need to get started for my classes, but I have all week right? (Actually, I am setting a goal to get all of my homework done by the end of the day on Tuesday so that I can just relax the rest of the time).  What will I do with all this free time you ask?

Well, I'm starting by staying up later than I normally do tonight (which for me is like 10:30), and sleeping in later than I normally do tomorrow (so, like 8:00 a.m.).

Then, I'm probably going to clean the apartment and sort through stuff that needs to be organized.  I already started going through a few boxes on Friday and through out tons of old papers that once seemed important but now is definitely not.

I might go to the store. 

I'll probably hit the D.I. at least once this week, and maybe JoAnn's too.  I need a project.

I think I'll read.  A lot.  I recently started a biography on Charlotte Bronte and her family and am hoping to actually get into it a bit now that I'll have some time.

Sounds like a great week already.  And with the lovely weather we have been having I think it will be quite nice.  I hope you all have a good and relaxing week as well!