2009 Recap

not comprehensive (or in order of occurrence or mportance) because my memory's not that good and I don't feel like going over blog posts right now
(not to mention the fact that I've yet to blog about some of these)

1 - I ran my first marathon
2 - I applied to, got accepted into, and began grad school
3 - I attended my first rodeo
4 - I attended my first celtic festival
5 - I witnessed caber tossing first hand (see above)
6 - I registered for my second marathon
7 - I became an aunt for the 15th and 16th time
8 - I found out I would be an aunt to a 17th & 18th by this coming April
9 - a photo I took got chosen to publish in a magazine
10 - I took Dingo through his first 5k
11 - I lost 20+ lbs (and kept it off!)
12 - I got Red Cross certified to teach courses on HIV/AIDS
13 - I watched Donny win Dancing with the Stars
14 - I met Tom McGowan in person
15 - I saw Wicked
16 - I got a behind the scenes tour of the Wicked stage
17 - I won two sets of tickets on the radio
- Beatlemania
- Air Supply
18 - I saw REO Speedwagon (and others)
19 - I ran my second mud run
20 - I took an impromptu road trip to Evanston, WY

I'm excited to find out what 2010 has to offer!
I may try to make this my theme song for the year...

Scuba Diving & Public Health

The other day in one of my classes we watched a video talking about damage that's being done to coral reefs.

A lot of the video took place underwater (naturally) and showed people scuba diving.

It made me start to wonder if there was a career in public health that would require me to scuba dive*.

It made me want to go into that career.

Let's see what a career like that might look like, shall we?

this thing looks like it should be opening up it's mouth to talk to you

yeah.
I think I'd like a job like that.

*thanks to my parents, I'm already certified to dive up to... I think 90 feet.

Billy Mills

Nope, not some guy I'm dating.

Billy Mills won the '64 10,000 meter (6.21 mile) run in the Olympics. The first Native American to do so. He was virtually an unknown when it happened.

Check this out:

he's the one in the dark jersey, #722

I love hearing the guy yelling "Look at Mills! Look at Mills!" I think that perfectly shows the excitement and unexpectedness.

I heard about Mills from one of my teachers who was personally able to meet him and have a private conversation with Mills for about an hour. During the hour, Mills basically just told him story after story.

He told about a time when he was in Barcelona (I think for the Olympics again - maybe just to watch? I don't know.) with some of his family and they overheard drunk reporters talking. The conversation went something like this -

Reporter 1 - What's the name of that Indian guy that one that race? The really fast one.
Reporter 2 - Oh, that drunken Indian? I don't know. I don't know his name.
Reporter 1 - Do you know whatever happened to him?
Reporter 2 - Oh, drunken Indian, I think he 's dead. Went back to the Reservation. Died out there. Drunken Indian.

Mills' daughter to Mills - Dad, go over there and tell them who you are.

After hearing the conversation go on a little bit longer, Mills finally went over there.

Mills to the reporters - Are you talking about Billy Mills?
Reporter ? - Mills! Yeah, that's the name of that drunken Indian.
Mills - I happen to know he's still alive, and he's not a drunken Indian.
Reporter ? - Oh yeah, how do you know?
Mills - Because I'm Billy Mills.

Mills told my teacher that after the exchange, he went into the hallway and cried. Upset after everything he's done, to be thought of as a drunken Indian.

Mills was orphaned at 12. He joined the Marines and was a marine when he participated in the '64 Olympics. He's started his own business. ... not some drunken Indian.

more about the race
more about Mills

Dear Santa...

This Summer -

any questions?

Q & A

Q: what do you get when you workout on the elliptical for 2.5 hours and finish it up with 30 min. on a stationary bike?

A: tired.
very, very tired.

Allow me to explain myself:
I was supposed to do a 14-mile run today.
I didn't think my knee would be able to handle it.
My last 14-mile run took me about three hours to complete.

You do the math.
I'm going to sleep.

On The Road Again

I'm trying to get myself motivated to get ready and get into the car.

I like driving, so that isn't the problem.

I just don't want to leave, and I'm not ready to go back to school.

Not just yet.

Though I have been missing my school friends...

But, the later I leave, the later I get there.

I just hope I don't have to drive through any nasty snowstorms on my way.


oh yeah - Happy New Year!