Now

Raleigh sold out tickets to this event; so happy I got mine back in August. First 5k run. I did better than I thought I would just due to the rib injury from the car accident.

Wasn’t able to run the whole thing but most of it. So, good stuff! Doing it again next year.

It took me about 40 minutes in the shower to get all the color off and I still have some blue on my scalp. SOOOO MUCH fun though!

Well, things WERE going very, very well.

Unfortunately, I was involved in a car accident on October 5th, Friday evening. I am still so upset, still hurt, not recovering as fast as I’d like, and so motherfucking frustrated I don’t really even know which way to go.

I’ve been blessed by amazing friends that have gone above and beyond the call of duty for me and I am eternally grateful. but inside my head? Is a flat out mess.

I have to keep a positive face for the public but I want to cry. It’s NOT the end of the world but try telling my Bipolar Brain that.

Me, Jackie, and Erica were going to get something to eat after BodyFlow on that evening and were in fact, about 200 feet from our destination.

A girl driving towards us made an abrupt turn into our path, trying to turn at an intersection, and wham.

We were going about 40mph, she didn’t signal, she didn’t slow down (Jackie swears she heard her accelerate to try to get across in time), there were NO tire marks that indicated she was aware of anything.

I believe she was texting. We’ll find out when it gets there. I had to hire an attorney. Not happy about that. I hate this kind of stuff. But I can’t workout. And I’ve lost wages, had to go to the freaking emergency room in an ambulance.

My Dr. thinks I have a stress fracture on a rib or two, not sure. They don’t show up right away. I do know that the seat belt got up UNDER my rib cage and that I couldn’t even OPEN A DOOR because it hurt so badly the first 5 days.

I was getting better but unfortunately, the swelling in the cartilage got so bad that my ribs popped back out of place late on last Friday night, October 12. I couldn’t get into to see anyone and by the time I did on Saturday, it had irritated my ribs so bad that they are STILL not in place.

I’ve taped myself up and been using a Tens unit and ice to try to get the swelling down but it’s just not happening yet.

Thank God, Erica was wearing her seat belt too otherwise she would have come forward and been hurt far worse AND hurt me worse too. We were all wearing seat belts.

Probably the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in my LIFE.

I just, I don’t even like to think about it which is why I haven’t written. I’m a bit of a mess right now.

Christmas day was pretty decent. I slept until NOON. Hah! Nice. Chris woke me up because his Mom was there and they were doing their get together before his daughter left to visit other family.

His Mom got me a few things, random crazy stuff, which is totally not necessary and reminds me of my Gram in certain ways. A green chair, a green little rug, a yellow soft fuzzy blanket with my name embroidered in green on it, a pair of NC State flip flops (mens? size 7.8? huge), two little Christmas towels for kitchen/bathroom, and a laundry sack.

Caitlyn gave me a Starbucks Hot Chocolate gift set from store.

After that was done, they left and it was just me and Chris. He knows that I want to spend a part of the day outside when I’m not working. So we chose to do part of the Reedy Creek Trail (Capital Greenway) and walked over the pedestrian bridge over 440. Very cool.

on Meredith College property. Looks like an abandoned nursery but it's still in use. They just abandoned all the plants that they didn't use I guess over various projects.

I love the colors of this photo. Not the best camera on my phone but still pretty.

A piece of art out at the NC Museum of Art on Blue Ridge Road.

a beautiful end of the Christmas Day 2011. The sky was beautiful, it was cold enough that it felt like winter, and it was so quiet and peaceful. The perfect end to Christmas Day.

We drove around all through Raleigh afterwards. Through Downtown, just looking at the lights and the shops, and enjoying the very little traffic. All the way up Glenwood to Brier Creek area, then over 540 back to Falls of Neuse. We spotted an open restaurant and went in to try it out.

Asian Grill sounded sort of generic so was not expecting food of the nature and caliber that we received. Fan TAS Tic! Seriously. Won Ton Soup, Egg Drop Soup, General Tso’s chicken, and a steamed shrimp and veggies: $37.

Excellent food. The won tons in the soup were the best I’ve had. Very fresh and obviously made there in the restaurant.

Very small place, probably 6 booths, 2 large tables that can accommodate 8 people, and a few smaller tables.

So I had a pretty freakin’ awesome birthday.

Chris and I hooked up last year on my birthday. And so that also makes it a year since we’ve been together. Good Lord. That year has been the most up and down year. I don’t even want to recap it’s been so fucked up. Mostly overshadowed by the whole RF work thing. ugh.

Back to happier thoughts: I woke up to a little post it note that let me know that we had a “reservation” at 6:30 that night. Not many places in Raleigh take reservations so I had no idea what to expect.

He took me to Ruth’s Chris steakhouse (what’s up with that name?). Oh such a simple sounding name… Ruth’s Chris STEAKHOUSE. Okay.

The food there is just friggin’ atomically good. I have never, ever, in my whole life, had a steak like we had that night. It was so much fun too! I totally enjoy eating out with him. We discuss the food the whole time. Sound boring? To me, eating out and having great conversation about the whole thing is just my top favorite thing to do.

They have an a la carte style menu, with the vegetables coming in “family sharing” portions.

We had the most sublime crab cake to start with. 90% lump crab meat. It was the most delicate and sweet tasting crab cake in the world. Truly amazing.

We then decided to share the Ruth’s Chris Jumbo Chop Salad. Not sure what to expect but it was surprisingly yummy.

Description from the website: A Ruth’s Chris original. Julienne iceberg lettuce, baby spinach and radicchio are tossed with red onions, mushrooms, green olives, bacon, eggs, hearts of palm, croutons, bleu cheese, lemon basil dressing and then topped with crispy onions.

I had no idea iceberg lettuce could do anything close to that! Good stuff. Nice and surprising mix of ingredients.

We both had a glass of wine, a Malbec for me and a Pinot for him. MMMMM.

Next up was our main course. Both of decided to go with a smaller steak. I wanted to eat everything served and have no leftovers to take home. It was the perfect decision because the leftovers would never have met the standards set when it was served.

They have this way that they cook the steaks that just turns them from a cut of beef to the most melt-in-your-mouth food ever.

“Our famous steaks are seared to perfection at 1800 degrees and topped with fresh butter so they sizzle all the way to your table.”

Not just cooked perfectly, but PERFECTLY. Every bite was amazing. I think my eyes may have rolled back into my skull during the eating of this. Never before has steak tasted that damn good.

The only sort of “eh” thing about the experience were the Lyonnaise potatoes. Okay but nothing too noteworthy.

French press coffee served afterwards: was so different that normal coffee I couldn’t believe it. Not a BIT of bitterness. Barely needed any cream or sugar.

Such a memorable experience.

Happy birthday to ME!!!

1. BodyFlow launch downtown tonight with E.

I stress over it but once we get it going, I’ll be fine. Whatever!!!

2. Teach tomorrow DT at 5:30 (the new release)

3. Teach Wed. DT at 7:30 (new release: i should know it pretty dang well by that point!!!!)

4. Alix graduates Thursday night!

5. BodyPump training begins on Friday and goes to Sunday!

Oh My God. I am freaking out about the training.

Trying to gear myself up, mentally and emotionally, to deal with my MOTHER who has decided to grace Alix with her presence for graduation and then for a tough weekend.

What will be, will be.

But still.

EEEK!!!!!!!

So Saturday was the quarterly for the area.

It’s a time when we get master trainers/presenters that get together and showcase the brand new releases, have educational information sessions, and generally just a bunch of crazy ass group fitness fanatics who live, eat, sleep, and breathe the programs, get together.

The day started out with me waking up at 7AM. Yuck. Had to go in and register and the first class started at 7:45am. I am not even AWAKE at this point.

It was awesome as usual although I missed out on one of the presentations I really wanted to see (new program called Sh’Bam) as I had to leave and run downtown to teach my normal Saturday class. By the time i made it back, sat through the education session for BodyFlow and then took BodyFlow, I was tired. 4 hours and that was enough. For whatever reason my stamina just sort of sucked.

But a fellow instructor and RF person and I sat on the sidelines, snacking on clementines and watching the group do the BodyCombat and BodyJam presentations. We had a great time. Hah!

Amelia was laying on the floor getting photos of the dancers. I was NOT dancing. HAH!

Here’s a good little clip of one of my favorite Jam instructors busting a move:

BodyJammin

She was laughing because my clothes were green, my shaker bottle of water was green and then i pulled out my little green camera…..She was like….dude. I told her that my jeep was green too and she just laughed and shook her head. She teaches yoga primarily but she’s a fellow BodyFlow instructor and she also teaches RPM (the spin class). I like her a lot.

Kevin and I are over.

Between the existing problems we had, mine and his, with the addition of him HATING Alix and actually telling me that I had to choose between him and her….

over.

and here i am again.

I think I’m meant to be by myself.

Today, I am able to watch the inauguration of our 44th President of the United States. The very first African American President.

Just watching the telecast, with all those thousands and thousands of people, I could just cry. For so many reasons but it’s good for people to have HOPE again.

It’s not so great right now, but it WILL get better.