Old Soul, Young Heart

I am having a major binging phase right now. I'm eating so horribly and that is not an exaggeration. I've got to do better. I just went into the break room and there were all of these leftover goodies from yesterday's Enrollment Services banquet and it took everything inside of me to not grab a cinnamon roll and two little brownies (especially because I am so hungry this morning). I even let out a little grunt because it was so difficult to leave empty-handed. I really need to get back into shape. I've only gained like five pounds from my normal, but it feels like a ton. I don't really like to blast my get-fit plans, but at the start of the year I'm going to go back to the gym at ISU for the spring and summer semesters. After that, I'm going to join Gold's Gym Express. I just want to feel better all around, but I, of course, want to look great for the wedding and honeymoon and I need to start now. I hate working out when I feel out of shape, but I alw

Motherless Daughters was pretty much all I had hoped it would be. There were several quotes in there that hit me in my gut, that made me feel as though I'm not alone in this life that has been forever changed because my mother died when I was 19. Sometimes I feel a little crazy because of it--like I'm reacting wrong or just plain overreacting--because I have no one in my life that truly understands what it's been like for me. (I'm not trying to be dramatic about this; it is just a fact of who I am. There is no other component of my person or my personality that is as pervasive to who I am as the fact that I am a motherless daughter. It enters into every part of my life, pretty much every day.) It's made me feel better about my experiences as a motherless daughter and about my future as one. I might have to buy this book and keep it with me throughout my life. I'm grateful that I ran across it when I did, since I'm having such a hard time right now without m

I just had a very satisfying moment on the job and it really had nothing to do with actually helping a student. I was randomly sitting at the front desk while Kay was away and I happened to answer a phone call from a student who was in my Creative Writing class here at Heartland in Spring 2004. She's returning again as a student here and had a question about her transcripts from other colleges. When we were in that class together, man, she thought she was the shit. She was going to school at Columbia and was going to transfer to UIC and you could just tell that she thought Heartland students were worthless (even though... uhh... she was taking a class here). Creative Writing is the only course she took here and her grades were horrible from both UIC and Columbia during multiple semesters. And now she's returning to finish her Associate's... 8 years later. It was just a moment for me that made me have all the more pride in being an alum of this institution. People often

It's crazy how some songs just always bring up certain memories for you. I was in 3rd grade when this song came out; I was like 8 or 9 years old. I still love it and I still picture myself in the backseat of my dad's orange 1938 Chevy as we're driving to Columbus, Ohio for a national hot rod show in the summer. I listened to this cassette on my Walkman repeatedly during that six hour drive. I don't know what it was about this song back then; it's not catchy, but it's actually quite beautiful, I think. A small part of my heart is reserved for the old country music that I grew up on. Don't mind the first 30 seconds or so. The audio isn't that great. Bear with me! Also, Wynonna reminds me of my mom, minus the crazy red hair. It's amazing how similar their faces are.

I have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks! This weekend I get to see my good friend Michele, who I will ask to be my maid of honor. I hope she says yes. There's no reason why she wouldn't, other than she'll be across the country--which is a real possibility. Right now she's back in central Illinois from Washington D.C., where she's doing an internship. I wish I got to see her more often because she really is one of my best friends, but alas, life takes her lots of places. On Monday I'm taking the day off and going to Chicago with my aunt Peggy to do our annual Christmas shopping trip at Water Tower Place. Really we only go to eat lunch at Cheesecake Factory (red velvet cheesecake--to die for!) and get exuberant amounts of Garrett's Popcorn to give as gifts. I'm hoping that it won't be as busy since it'll be a Monday, but who knows. The weekend after that Philip and I are going to St. Louis to see a Blues game. It's been a few