I am thankful for...

As usual, I am behind on my updating. Life has been very busy lately, and fortunately for me I have finally come out of my thesis writer’s block.

I love the winter holiday season because the weather is nice and cool (and dry… which means less frizz for my normally frizzy hair). There are decorations and twinkling lights on the streets. People are in the giving spirit and actually spend more time thinking about others instead of themselves. These are all reasons why I love the Thanksgiving/Christmas(or Hanukkah)/New Year’s holidays. Thanksgiving however tops my list! Why is Thanksgiving at the top? It’s not just because there are mounds of delicious food and an endless supply of pumpkin treats… I love it the most because it is the one time of year that people really reflect on what they are thankful for without the hassle of gift-giving. Don’t get me wrong, I like to receive gifts on occasion. I definitely love to give gifts; unfortunately, I am also a poor college student, so sometimes the gifts are cheap but I try to make them thoughtful. Thanksgiving is free of the gift-giving stress, which makes it fantastic. It is also a great time to get together with family, which is another reason I love it.

This year my Thanksgiving was supposed to be spent with my Dad’s side of the family; however, plans changed and I ended up celebrating it with Chris’ family in south Florida. Despite not spending it with my own family, I still had a marvelous Thanksgiving with really great people. I even got a chance to visit with some of my very best friends who were in town from Texas (the ones expecting the new baby…YAY!). I have included some pictures from our trip to Siesta Key Beach on Thanksgiving morning.
Chris, Myself, and Bryan
Me and Alisha

Over the weekend Chris and I ran a fast (for me) 2 miles at just under a 9 min/mile pace. We also ran 6 miles down the beach during sunset, which was absolutely gorgeous. I’m afraid I don’t have any pictures of the sunset, but trust me it was spectacular. We even ran past three different weddings! (I hope I didn’t ruin any of their pictures by running in the background. Oops!) I also watched the Battlestar Galactica Razor movie… It was awesome! Finally, this past Tuesday I saw Papa Roach in concert. They put on a fantastic show! I even got touched (more like slimed with sweat) by the lead singer.

Of course a post about Thanksgiving weekend would not be complete without a cheesy list of things for which I am thankful. Here goes:

• Good health: I am very thankful that this past year I have morphed into a runner… that’s right. I said it. I. Am. A. Runner. And I have a 13.1 mile race this weekend to prove it!

• A great job: Sure I’m a research assistant that is not accompanied by a large paycheck, but my job really rocks! Not only do I get paid to work on the research for my thesis, but I have a terrific boss/adviser and hilarious co-workers. Sure there are days when I’d rather sleep in or watch tv, but I never actually dread going to work. I love having a job that is constantly challenging and mentally rewarding, not to mention it is giving me experience as well. I just hope my next job is as exciting.

• Family: My Mom: Despite our many differences and complete opposite ways of thinking, she is always there for me and is one of my heroes. I really admire her for all that she has done and appreciate the support that she has given me. My siblings: They are all so strong and just absolutely amazing. They make their big sis proud. My dog: Yes, he is part of my family. He is one great dog!

• Friends: I really have the absolute best friends in the world. Seriously, I’m sure many of you think that your friends are the best, but I assure you that you that mine are the greatest! They are always there to lend me a shoulder to cry on, to kick me in the butt when I need it, to make me laugh when I need it, and to point out the idiotic things that I do. That’s what friends are for! I am also grateful for my roommate, who manages to keep me running on days that I feel sloth-like and puts up with my consistent babbling. She is one great roommate. And have I mentioned how awesome Chris is? Yeah… he is quite amazing and cute too. (o; He is espcially great at making me smile and feel good about myself. And since this is my running blog, I have to say that I am thankful for all of the people who have kept me running. First here is Joe for getting me hooked and running with me as many times as he has. Of course the roommate is on this list. Chris, Kyle, and the other hashers I must also thank for introducing me to a very different and fun way to run. (Espcially when "shiggy" is included! Yay for Kyle's trails!) I'm grateful to Rebecca for helping me in my quest to be a triathlete and learning how to swim. And to all of you bloggers for all of your support, wisdom, and the ability to make me cry from laughing so hard. THANK YOU ALL!!

Now about "The Race"… Yes Doug, I am pumped! I am super excited yet scared at the same time. Any words of support you guys can throw my way I would greatly appreciate. I know that I will finish it, and I am confident that I can do it in the time that I want, but I’m still a bit nervous. Pre-race jitters I guess. I will definitely keep you all updated, and I will be sure to post a picture of my finisher’s medal (like Amy, I love a good medal or trophy). *Edit* I forgot to add that the roommate and I ran a nice easy 2 miles last night, otherwise we are taking it easy this week. By Saturday my legs are going to want to run. LOL.

I’m way behind on my blog reading as well guys, but I will try and catch up soon. I apologize in advance for the very delayed comments on all of your blogs, but I will comment nonetheless. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and has a great upcoming weekend!