Lets Reconnect...

Hi there.  Uh, this just in, my new alarm clock has failed to go off for the past two mornings and just now I set a tester time and it went off. So... what the heck?

A lot has been going on in my little world. A lot that I can't, and probably shouldn't, share right now, because I'm pretty sure most of you would categorize my sharing as "complaining."  But things have definitely been tricky. I am learning.  It's the acting out what I am learning that is so hard.  Learning to speak my mind, instead of letting my blood boil and veins pop like Spencer Pratt, is a big one.  Instead I just cry to my cat, "I'm not cut out for roommates! I'm just not!" ...or relationships or work or...
I've been so consumed by personal dramas (which I am not used to) that I have completely forgotten where I was going with anything else in my life!  Even my blog!  I've found myself desiring to retreat and hideaway from everyone so I don't have to deal!  But I know that's not what's right.

So, here I am, re-entering into the things that were/are important to me.  I've had a few things that I wanted to document and share with you but several of my belongings have mysteriously gone missing, one of which being my camera.

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I will proudly declare that I have achieved something I never thought I would.  I now run aprox. 6 miles on a regular basis!  All at once! No stopping!  AND uphill!!! Well - half uphill, of course.  I am so proud of myself!!  But even accepting the new title of "athlete," I still fall victim to pity parties.  I was inconsolable a few nights ago.  I felt like all my efforts weren't doing anything and the years of my prime were being squandered by my muffin top.  I pouted shamelessly to my boyfriend while eating in bed, using the scale I'd bought that day as a tray.  It was a low moment.  But we all have those, right?

Well, I'll end my ramblings for the night with this:  My boyfriend and I went to Tahoe over the 4th of July.  It is so incredibly beautiful up there!  We went on an amazing hike up to 8,000 feet. Even though the temperature was in the 70's we were hiking in snow! It was so cool!  We stopped at a gorgeous lake w/ miniature icebergs floating in it and had lunch while taking it all in.  I was able to borrow a camera and get some pics!  It was breathtaking!

It is called the Wild Flower Hike. Normally the hillsides are covered in wild flowers, but they had a late snow this year, so there were just a few buds.

Amazing!!

Critter company

Oh yeah, there was a crazy guy that swam out to one of the chunks of ice. Freezing!!!

Stuck?

Yikes!!!

Yet, the guy managed to inspire a follower...  I love the expression on his face! The water was soooooo cold!

The Spiders Strike: A too close encounter!!!

It seems the spiders are getting in the Halloween spirit. I had an extremely close encounter with one of those giant brown garden spiders two days ago that left me shrieking and doing the heebie jeebies dance in my driveway. I had walked into its web and its wriggling body touched my shoulder! Shudder, mega shudder!! I was sure a neighbor would run to my rescue once they heard my cries of disgust, but no, not even so much as a window curtain pulled back in curiosity. The spiders struck again tonight. The pile of clothes on my floor was getting to be sizeable, making my room look quite small, so I decided to do some tidying. I picked up a sweater from the pile and, Aaaaahhhh!!! A big, hairy thing with legs like licorice sticks was ready to pounce, guarding the pile of clothes as though it were his loot. This time I controlled myself and let out only a minor yelp and then took action. I scanned my surroundings and found my trusty black flats by my side so I acted quickly, with precision, like a seasoned warrior. I won't go into detail, but yes, the remains from the battle join the rest of my exhibition as evidence of a gruesome war yet to cease, and intruders need be wary.
Cute black flats can be used for more than just accessorizing...

An Address to Spiders and Creepy Crawlys Alike

I see you up there Spider, your thick, grotesque body perched in your web over my bed. You are still as though dormant, but I know your tricks! The moment my light clicks off you awaken and descend like air down your silky strand to burry yourself in my hair, nuzzle in my neck! Look around you Spider. Notice your neighbors smooshed to oblivion on your left and your right. Consider yourself warned! Return to the wilderness before you become a smear of goo and scattered legs. Don’t brand me a murderer; this is a line of defense, a line which you have crossed, in a battle that is fought daily. Retreat Spider! Retreat!!!

Exhibit A: Bug guts

The truth: I originally left the guts because just the act of squishing filled my capacity for gross-out and I could not bring myself to then wipe the guts off the wall. I justified my display of crusty bug guts as a warning to their descendants, but my line of defense is not working. Despite the changing seasons spiders still flock to my bedroom in packs and now the bug guts have become cemented to the wall, such that removing them means taking the paint off as well, so there they remain.

Exhibit B: More bug guts