Its never easy to say goodbye...

In fact, sometimes its one of the most painful things we as humans have to do.  But alas, it's time for me to say goodbye to another friend who's losing his battle with cancer.

My heart is breaking into so many pieces as I type this.  I just cannot imagine a world with out MG in it. 

MG came to Wa for work and we got together to have beers - I think this was in 2007 or 2008. I can't remember

I met MG at TASIS my junior year. We were in many of the same classes since the junior class was so small.  My first real memory of him was sitting in American History class and him passing a note to me asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. That note got passed back and forth between us a dozen times during class.  At the end of it I was going to draw maps in history books and he was going to drive cabs.

A lot has changed since those days.

Hello 80's. Prom night. That's me on the left, MG, and best friend CN.

He was one of my many Mike crushes.  I've had so many crushes on boys named Mike that I've lost count.  But I adored him.  He was so kind, gentle, sarcastic, and a bit nerdy at times that I just couldn't help myself.  It would never be though. We'd grow to become such great friends that dating just wasn't in the cards.  I'm glad now because I shutter to think what a break up in high school would have cost me. 

Through the years we've kept touch periodically.  And yet no matter the amount of time that went by we could pick up our conversation as if time hadn't passed.  I cherish those times now.

MG is dying. He was diagnosed with melanoma a couple of years ago and kept from us just how bad it really is.  I've only just learned that he won't be with us much more than a couple of weeks.  Hospice is his home now. 

In my walk down memory lane tonight I pulled out my year book from my senior year. TASIS was different in that each senior, or two seniors got a page they got to design and write whatever they wanted to and put whatever photos they wanted.

Naturally I wrote something to MG:
"Mike - Thanks for "caring"...our inside jokes have kept me laughing all year.  I will return now to the "real Washington" where apples and slugs rule the world.  I love ya Verde. I probably don't even realize yet how much you've impacted me life."

Hmph! If I had only known.

MG wrote this to me (and I cry now as I type it):
Jennifer - As far as I'm concerned there are no words to describe how I feel about you. I've thought about it since St.Moritz and I realize that I don't deserve a friend as good as you. I love you and I'm going to miss you lots (and that still doesn't say what I feel)."

Well MG...I love you and I'm really going to miss you too.  Be in peace my friend.

1997 Class Reunion - 10 years

2007 Class Reunion - 20 years

There's a new blog entry coming...

and here it is.

I know I've been less than chatty on this blog and I'm really trying to be better at it. Each time I sit down to start a new blog it sounds boring, and or doesn't make sense.  So I delete it and deem it necessary to wait a day to write it.

Next thing I know, it's been a week.

So what's happened since last we spoke. Holy crap it's been two weeks. 

1. The Getting Started Meetings for the 3 day has started. These are one of my favorite parts of the 3day events. They're basically meetings for folks who are thinking about signing up to come to and learn about the 3Day. As volunteers we stand around and answer questions or provide comic relief, depends on the meeting. Then we watch a video and we cry. Every. Single. Time.

2. This month started the first of a dinner club I started. The Landlords, Blueberry and I many, MANY moons ago used to go and try new restaurants all the time. Then we stopped when I got poorer.  Then we kept saying we were going to do it. Then we never did. So sometime last December I suggested we pick a day every month and we go out and try new restaurants. Being the good PM I am I created a schedule of who picks in what month.  Mr. Landlord picked a Japanese Tappen Yaki place in Bellevue called - cleverly - The Japanese Steak House. It was a good, and I ate a lot.

3. Also that week was our first book club meeting. As with everything it seems, we chat about doing it and then nothing happens.  Again with the PM hat, I put together a schedule and the first book was chosen.  The schedule also included that whomever picked the book that month hosts the book club. 

January we red Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (same writer who did Seabiscuit). The book is a WWII story about one guy and his survival.  He's lost at sea after his plane goes down and is a POW. It's a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

Book club ended up being at my house even though Seattle SIL picked the book - she had other more complicated things to deal with so I offered. We ate tacos and sat around talking about everything under the sun, oh and we talked about the book too.

4. I got a cold. Then nothing happened for 5 days. I'm still recovering from said cold, but I feel way better.

5. Seattle SIL had her first fund raiser for the 3day this past weekend and hosted an All day scrap.  I have been "staging" my scrapbook pages for several weeks now and it felt good to actually do some scrapping.  Blueberry made fun of my overly organized staging process - but hey, I got about 16 pages done to her 8. So there.

I could provide you a process doc of what I go through to be prepared to scrap, but I'll spare you. I'm nice that way.

6. I received some bad news yesterday that I'm still trying to process. I'll eventually blog about it, but just am not sure what to say about it just yet. Let me just say this. You here the phrase all too often, "Live each day as if it's your last" - do it. And if there's some friend or family member you've been meaning to reach out to and see - do it. Just do it.

There's a Party on the roof...roof top of the wold...

Happy Tuesday. If you have no reason to be happy today, just think, you're alive.  That is reason enough. That and you're reading this blog.

First things first, Sunday dinner came and went.  The usual suspects were there this month and for some unexplained reason everyone was super chatty. It might have been the wine (we polished off 4 bottles somehow) or it just might be that this crowd is starting to feel too comfortable with each other. Either way, it was a great Sunday dinner. Not that all of them aren't great, but this one felt...well more special.

Dinner was Roasted Lemon & White Bean Hummus (OMG Sooo Good), Bloody Mary Flank Steak (delicious!), twice baked potatoes (molten hot), Balsamic Green Beans (I need to make these daily).  I managed to not have too many left overs - much to the Pantry Goat's dismay.

Usual Suspects - Left to Right: BigBro, Queen PopUp, Seattle SIL, Mr&Mrs. Atlanta, Mr. QueenPopUp, Pantry Goat, The Landlords, the Yank, PhotoGirl and moi.

In other non-food related news, I've got big news.  For some of you, you'll probably roll your eyes and think it's no big deal, but for me, its a big deal.

I ran for 5 minutes straight yesterday! Twice!

I know. I know. Some of my marathon friends are like, "So what?" but for a girl who's not a runner, and who struggled with running for a minute even, this is big. 

TOJ (The other Jenn) and I finally decided to move forward in the Couch to 5K. We're now on week 4. I won't even discuss how long it took us to get here, the important part is we're here.  The jump from week 3 to week 4 is significant in the amount of jogging time.  The max jogged in one straight time was 3 minutes, then we jumped to 5. I was completely convinced I couldn't do it. But TOJ kept telling me (aka distracting me) stories and before I knew it Ursula (that's what I call the voice on the app) said it was time to walk. 

To say I was stunned would be putting it mildly. My legs burned, and my breathing was normal. All in all, it was a good jog.  Cold. But a good jog.

I'm starting to think I might actually be a jogger yet. I've had my doubts.

Resolution Run

Happy Friday everyone!  This week went by in a blink of an eye and boy am I glad. Work was crazy this week...crazy in a good way.  I got a lot accomplished and discovered I am a data geek underneath all this project managers clothing. Who knew?

You may recall that one of my goals this year is to become a jogger/runner. And part of that goal was to run a 5K every month with the plan to actual RUN the entire 5K for the Race for the Cure.  The Couch to 5K program has been stalled, then progressed, then stalled, then progressed, then stalled and we're about to progress again. Well, last Sunday was my first 5K. I was ready. I was pumped. And then I got sick.

 

The Redmond Resolution run was a small, easy little 5K jog.  Well for some. TOJ (the other Jenn) and I still did it. Though admittedly I didn't jog as much as I had hoped. I couldn't breath very easily and didn't really want to push it. But we did it and we finished.  We did the first half by using the Couch to 5K program, then planned on jogging two minutes on, two minutes off.  Suffice it to say we barely made the program, let alone jogging the additional. My deal, however, was I would jog to and over the finish line. And we did.

The route took us South onto the Sammamish trail and back to the Redmond Athletic Club where they had an exercise challenge - we chose to skip that. Then the route took us North onto the Samamish trail again. This time part of the route was what they called the Concrete Coffin. Basically a four story parking garage where you run up the stairs to the 4th floor, ac

ross the top floor, down the stairs, up the ramps to the 4th floor then down the ramps and out. TOJ did it, I chose to not given my lack of breathing capacity.

We finished with style though and the weather held out for us. It only started to sprinkly slightly when we crossed the finish line. 

When I got up in the morning I was hoping TOJ would have a headache or a reason to not do it. I just wasn't looking forward to it. But in the end I'm so glad I did it.  I felt ok after - I'm sure the Starbucks helped.

Ringing in the New Year

New Year’s to me is a fun and exciting holiday to celebrate. It’s a clean slate. It’s a do over. It’s a time to reflect. It’s a time to make changes. It’s a time to be very, VERY thankful for all that you have.  The frosting on the cake. 

2012 was an year to be remembered. Some good memories, some bad. Though I think life would be boring if we only had good, so I welcome the bad. 2012 was an emotionally difficult year that drained me more than I care to admit.  Yet it also gave me new strength, new hope, and let me see a brighter future. 

2013 is hear. Fresh, new, unaltered, un-jaded, ready for me to live it … fully. Each new year I feel renewed. I feel like I am ready to take on the next level of goals, to think I can, and will, do better in all aspects of my life. I can’t afford to not improve – seems silly to not improve. 

I rang in 2013 much like I have in the past, with friends, food, and good cheer. I’m excited to see this year start. And I’m painfully aware that there will be some downers in this next year – as I get older they seem more likely to happen. But I’m also quite aware, that I make my own happiness. And in knowing that, I can, and will, make 2013 a happy year (sadness and all).  When I think about what some folks across the country are dealing with (unemployment, Connecticut shooting, natural disasters, etc) I’m reminded at how incredibly fortunate I am. Sure there’s sadness in my life, but I choose to make that sadness the exception not the rule.  2013 will be no different.