Some SERIOUS excitement

In less than 48 hours, I will be sitting in the Bahamas.

I successfully ran almost 3 miles last night without stopping. This is a feat I haven't accomplished since high school.

I'm getting a nice chunk of change back as my tax refund (and I'm not even done filing yet!). It will buy me a few months rent with Steve or a nice cruise.

I have a brand new bookcase to hold the massive amount of books I have now accumulated by working at Barnes & Noble.

I LOVE my classes so far this semester.

That is all! It's enough!

A wonderful weekend!

My Patriots won. Sadly, the Packers lost. I'm hopeful for next season. After all, they are the youngest team in the NFL. I did enjoy watching the game with the Mulholland's this year. No matter what, they will always be my second family! Mrs. M even called me a family member tonight, while Mr. M had his slippered feet in my face. It was a great moment. I wonder...

I got the toy that I wanted (see previous post). I just have to wait for it to find it's way to me through the mail. Inevitably, it won't come until after I return from the Bahamas, but at least it gives me something to play with when I get home. It isn't necessarily something to look forward to about coming home, but it's a good thing nevertheless. They retail for $299 in stores. I got mine on ebay for just over $100. I love ebay! It now has my heart.

Now if it could just provide me with a cheap Tom Brady jersey...

My "Want" List

It starts with this: The iPod Touch - a magnificent feat of technology.

Oh yes, I will have one!

I think it's about that time.

I need out of this house. I need out of this house like yesterday. I can't even deal with my father anymore. He gripes at me about not loading a dishwasher correctly, but will he ever put his own shit in there? Mm.. nope!

Since retirement, he sits on his ass (which frequently rotates between couch and computer desk). He frequently instigates conversations with me about random crap while I'm studying, reading or completely uninvolved.

I'm not bitching for myself. I fear for my dad. He eats crap. His sole excuse for not working out with me is that his arm hurts. Last time I checked, it didn't cause any stress on an arm to walk on a treadmill, ride a bike or use an elliptical trainer. If I make a comment about the shit that he eats, he gets upset. How hard is it for a grown man to understand that he's killing himself? I'm sick of caring. I should just let him act as he will and clog his own arteries.

In this regard, I had my first Philosophy of Education class last night. Dr. Myers made a fascinating point regarding intellectual scholars and "Joe Six-Pack" or someone possessing conventional wisdom. Those individuals in the conventional wisdom bracket often feel they are correct on many accounts, yet they often are not. My dad, who doesn't have an education past high school, falls into this bracket. However for me, his daughter, to point out that he is wrong would be a travesty.

Ok, I'm done venting. I just need out of this house - now!

If only I could be given the chance.

I'd go back to high school, choose to go to public school, audition for Governor's School, dance like a rockstar, improve my technique, and make a living doing what I love.

Life might have been so much different. Life might not seem so.. well, ordinary.

Maybe I was born to fire a gun!

Believe it or not, I went to a shooting range today. I'm finicky, jumpy and easily spooked, so why in the world would I want to do such things? Well, that's a bit longer of a story.

In any case, I had never held a gun in my hand, let alone pulled the trigger. And I think I did a pretty damn good job, all things considered. I did better with the target at half range (all of my shots landed between the 7 ring and the bullseye). Full range was a bit harder but I still hit the target with all 20 rounds. Go me!

Left: My full range target

To date:

I have dropped 24 lbs. (since early 2007). Overall, it doesn't suck so much. How could this possibly have a downside? Well, I don't exactly have a lot of extra funds to purchase new clothes. Even my workout clothes are falling off!

What's a girl to do?

I am now taking donations to the "Heidi-needs-new-clothes" fund. I would be forever in such a generous person's debt.

Again, how excited should I be?

I'm going to Golden Compass and Max & Erma's this afternoon. I am indeed excited for that! It's about damn time I had a date with Steve! Seriously, it's still the holidays and we can't even get our schedules to match up now. That doesn't leave me happy with anticipation about the upcoming semester when he has class 3 nights a week and works all day. Oy..

Despite my excitement regarding this afternoon's festivities, I have also committed to the Rob Zombie concert tonight. I think my lack of enthusiasm should now be obvious. I'm a bit nervous of the crowd that Rob Zombie may draw. Oy..

A vow.

Never again will I work in the textbook department of Barnes & Noble at MacArthur unless instructed to do so.

Today was hell. I think more people needed to resolve to have more patience this year. After all, I have only 2 hands, 1 brain, and no method of making books appear from thin air.

Hello, 2008!

It's hard for me to believe that 2007 has already passed. It's so common to hear that the older you get, the faster time flies. I'm starting to believe that this is true. I blinked, and the year was gone.

I had great resolutions for 2007 - lose weight, manage my life, learn a new language. Thankfully, I succeeded on 2 of these accounts. I lost a bit of weight (and it's still dropping with a healthy lifestyle - much to the delight of Steve) and I have become a bit better at managing my schedule (With thanks to my parents for an excellent birthday present that keeps my life in order. If I lose it, Im screwed!). I started to learn Italian and managed to struggle through a few lessons, but life just gets too busy to keep up with tasks that aren't a requirement.

I've actually been able to complete some non-required reading over the holiday. I started reading Plague Maker by Tim Downs. So far, so good. Mrs. Mulholland gave me a book to read as well. And Mr. M has insisted that I read Guns, Germs & Steel which sounds right up my biology-loving alley.

But I digress.. I haven't thought much about resolutions for 2008, but I want to continue to live a healthy lifestyle. I've done a bit more running recently. Yesterday, I actually ran 2 miles without stopping - a big accomplishment for someone that doesn't do well at running long distances. I'd like to complete the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in September.. we'll see how that goes. I think my biggest resolution will be to strive as best as possible to maintain the relationships that I have now and do whatever I can to help them grow. Recently, I've found out that it takes commitment, dedication and A LOT of patience for relationships to flourish. I really think I've had a hard time accepting people as humans with weaknesses and flaws. I have so many and I harp on them so often that I forget that it's likely unavoidable. We all make mistakes. It's how we deal with the mistakes that either works in favor or in opposition of a strong bond. I want to know how to make the right decisions to maintain the stability in my relationships. I frequently jump to conclusions and rarely give others the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to work on this.

Enough of that..

My New Year's Eve was one of the most enjoyable in a long time. Steve & I had dinner at CPK and saw I Am Legend - an amazingly poignant movie. Will Smith is so amazingly talented. It's so easy to feel lonely for him and forget that he's getting paid millions for his good acting! I highly recommend this movie to absolutely anyone - even if you don't like suspense movies! Another reason I love the holidays so much is because it brings people home. Thomas is in town for the first time in eons and John & Nicole came down for a visit. We toasted the new year with champagne and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia at Brandon's new place (of which I'm completely jealous!) It's so nice to catch up and be reminded why my friends are just that - they are insane and make me laugh so unbelievably hard. It's been a while since we spent any holiday together. Check out one of our visit's from 2003. I think Thomas' personality has never wavered. He's hysterical and clearly loves to assault Steve. In fact, I think he tried to again last night. Yep, he's exactly the same!








From Left: Eric, Thomas, me, Dustin & Steve

Oh memories. Here's to a year of making a few more!