Quirky

I am a quirky person. I am a bit OCD about certain things. I like things to be in their place and I like things to flow...

Sometimes I cannot even go to sleep until certain things are in their place... The remote for example, has to be on my night stand. If it is not there I lay there and wonder where it is.

I also have to have the blinds on my bedroom door turned up instead of downward because I feel like people can see in.

All the money in my wallet has to be in order too... 1, 5, 10.... there is never a 20 so there is no need to go on.

All my lamps are on timers and it bugs me when they don all come on and go off at the same time. It takes me forever to get them set!!!!

I have developed a few running quirks too... My socks and laces have to be just right before I can go running. If they are the slightest bit off I have to take the socks off and start over.

I know its weird but I am at a place with all of my quirks that I know everybody has them. Are you brave enough to share yours?

Homemade Pimento Cheese

If you don't have these 3 items in your house... stop reading now, go get them... then come back!

Great... now that you're back let me tell you that these 3 ingredients, when mixed together just the right way, can make the most delectable treat you will ever taste... Homemade Pimento Cheese.

I am sure some of you are asking, "Where are the pimentos?" Well, in my version there are none. "Then why not call it Roasted Red Pepper Cheese?", asked my non-Southern friend... She can't help it bless her heart... She just wasn't privileged enough to be raised way down deep like the rest of us....

To make this tasty treat shred your own cheese. Don't buy the preshredded. It is was too dry. You need a rather large block too. Don't be cheap!

Next, dice up the roasted red peppers really fine. I use about half a jar. You find this particular kind of pepper right beside the pickles. Add the diced peppers to your shredded cheese.

Finally add about 2 big scoops of Duke's Mayo. (or more if you like a lot!)

Now, if you are unfortunate enough to live where they don't make Dukes's, quit making the pimento cheese and start packing to move back home. Why in the world would you live somewhere like that??? Nonetheless, you may use another brand of mayo but I cannot be held responsible for the lack of taste.

After you add the mayo mix it thoroughly and refrigerate. Let it get good and cold then spread it on anything edible and eat the hound out of it. It is so good on just about anything.

Some of my favorite things to eat it on... Hamburgers, Steaks, Wheat Thins, 100 Calorie Bread Rounds, and of course just plain 'ole loaf bread! Hope enjoy it!

Did I really just post a recipe? That is hilarious!!!! Enjoy it anyway!

The More I Seek You

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted this... You Are Good. This is is my other favorite song right now. Enjoy. Worship right where you are this Sunday.

Silly Saturday

These are some things that made me laugh this week. Hope I can share a chuckle or two.

1. A student told me at lunch this week that my name was a compound word... She said, "It is like Dairy, like dairy products, and berry like fruit and berries." She is so funny!

2. I got all the way to band practice Wednesday night only to realize that I forgot my trumpet as I got out of the car to go in.

3. The amount of doggie doo I had to dodge on my run this morning. Some dog had a great Friday night!

4. Finding a notebook of letters that my brother-in-law wrote to my sister prior to their marriage. HYSTERICAL!

5. The number of people who yell, "Run Forest Run," while I am running and actually yell it like they are the first person to ever say it.

6. The commercial where the little piggy "WEE WEE WEEs all the way home!!!!! I think it is Geico.

7. I asked my 2nd graders how they were Dairy Product experts after a vivid lunch time conversation, and they replied... "Duh Mr. D. we go to Wal-mart." Guess the big sign that says dairy over the milk and cheese is teaching them as they shop.

8. As I was unloading cars this week at school, a cute little K5 kids pulled up. As I opened the door I said, "How are you cutie pie?" Then, from inside the car, in a big 'ole booming, deep voice I hear... "I'm Fine!"

Chicken on a Stick

Just because the label looks healthy does not mean get it. We had these for dinner tonight and they were not all that great. This is definitely a case of the picture fooled us. The chicken I ate did not look anything close to this. We bought them because it said great on the grill. NOT! stay away... I am still convinced that it was actually chicken. Thankfully I didn't waste too many calories, or fat grams on this. I had a brown cow for dessert to reward myself!

Am I Monkey?

Since I have been running this monkey treat has been my most favorite thing to eat. I absolutely cannot get enough of them! One day this summer, I think I had 5 or 6 in a day. It seems like I am going to the grocery store every 2 or 3 days just for bananas. Thank goodness they are just 49 cents a pound.

I wish they would keep a little longer so I could buy a bunch, but they go bad so fast. What do you do to keep them from spotting? Just curious. I know about hanging them so give me some new tips.

Fears

Do you have any quirky, unusual fears that you just cannot get over? I am sure you do... We all do. At some point you have probably shared it with someone, and they made you feel like an absolute idiot for having such a fear. But, to you it is a genuine fear. It really scares you!!!!

My sister Johnnie-Lynn is deathly afraid of bees... I don't mean like all of us have that fear of being stung, I mean she has to run and hide if one flies in her driveway and she is on the porch. I make fun of her, but she really is scared.

A lady I know at church is scared of squirrels, and I once heard of lady that was afraid of plastic!!!

There are lots of fears that I have encountered as a teacher that I try my best to help the little people over come. Once a student was afraid of the lunchroom, another was afraid of anything that was dressed up, another was afraid of computers, and another was afraid of the library. I don't always understand their fears, and a lot of them may seem ridiculous to us "grown ups," but we have to help them. They are looking to us for safety.

I confess here on this blog that I am deathly afraid of a few things myself. Most of them common things like spiders, falling, and heights, but I have a few quirky ones too. One of the weirdest things I am afraid of is diving boards. Not sure why, but when anyone is on one I cannot watch at all. I am petrified for them. I am also afraid of making left hand turns while riding with someone. That is why I often offer to drive when with a group. I don't want to freak out when someone turns left and I am sitting beside them.

I know... that one was weird huh? Nonetheless, it is a real fear. Next time you encounter someone with what seems to be a quirky fear to you, reflect just a bit and you will find that you are probably just as weird as they are!

Flash Back!

A few weeks ago my old band director put all of our old marching band videos on facebook. I was ecstatic to see them because I do not have anything other than a picture of me in the band to remember this time.

Band was my life... I was indeed, the quintessential band nerd, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I confess that when I first saw the videos... all the way from my 8th grade year til I graduated... I cried... hard!!!! I loved the band and miss it terribly. Not the music and the marching as much as the family that the band was to me. The people in the band were like my brothers and sisters and we were all just trying to get through high school together.

I decided to share a video from my senior year with my blog faithful so you could see a little piece of my past. I don't expect many of you to watch the whole thing, because most of you just won't get it. Good thing about that is, my trumpet solo is the at the very opening of the show. :0) Listen and enjoy!

Horton Hears A Who!

Have you ever read the book or seen the movie, Horton Hears A Who?

A short synopsis for those who haven't... An elephant heard someone calling for help on a speck of dust that floated by his ear. He makes every effort to save the speck. The famous line from the movie is, "A person's a person, no matter how small. Horton faces a lot of criticism for thinking there are people that small, but he insists that they are there, and ends up saving the speck from total disaster, thus saving their tiny world.

When I saw this pic below, I was reminded of that quote. Even though it appears our world is so big and great, we are all tiny beings floating around on this little tiny little speck. How can you not look at this picture and just be reminded how infinitesimal we are. The next time you get too prideful or "too big for your britches" as my granny would say... come back here and look at this. It kind of puts our big huge problems into perspective.

Getting Started

This is a page from my running journal. I started this page right at the end of July when I got my new running shoes. It helps me to keep track of my pace, mileage, and rest days. A lot of people have asked me about how to get started running. Journaling your progress is a good visual way to see how good you're doing. When I look at this page and I see what I have done, it gives me all the more motivation to keep it up. Every time I write it in it I think about my students at school putting up their stickers for making 100's on their A.R. tests.... This is like my own little page of stickers!

The List and The Cart

I went into the store for this.....

Came out with this!!!! 20 dollars turned into 140 really quick!!!

Life Lesson From An iPhone

In case you live under a rock or in a dark dark cave... This is an iPhone 4.

Recently, I had the privilege of purchasing one of these and it quickly became an extra arm. I cannot imagine life without it. In some ways it has taken the place of my once cherished lap top. Not in all ways, but a lot.

I look after my iPhone like it was a child. I have a special cloth that I clean it with. I have a special spot I lay it down at home. I put it in a ziploc baggie when I run. I know where it is at ALL times!

Last night at dinner I sat it down on the table beside me. Immediately I noticed that I sat it just a little too close to the edge of the table. I instantly moved it back towards the center of the table and away from any drinks.

Almost at the same time I moved it, I heard that ever small voice (duh, the Holy Spirit) in my head whisper a HUGE life lesson to me. It said... "Jed, if only you would act and move away from sin with just that same speed that you moved that phone away from danger.

Isn't that exactly what we do with sin... We try to get as close to the "edge" as possible and think that we will not fall off. Then, next thing you know, not only did we fall but landed flat on our face!!! All of it can be avoided if we just move ourselves away from it. Back away from the edge and away from the possibility of a spill.

You may not get what I am trying to say... If not, blame it on my writing... If you get it... Move back from the edge and don't fall!!!!

Paying It Forward

Have you seen stories on the News, Oprah, or Extreme Home Makeover where some group or someone decides to do something very spontaneously generous for another person? Below is a picture of a lady named Ms. Rita who did that this past Sunday right smack in the middle of Office Max, and I was the overwhelmed, blessed recipient of her goodness. Let me explain.

We were standing in a LOOOOONG line at the store. Everyone in Spartanburg was in there, and of course Ms. Rita and I got in the slow line. As I do with anyone standing near me in line, I struck up a conversation with her and another lady behind her. Ms. Rita is a grandmother and the other lady was a teacher. Since it was the day before school starting, the conversation inevitably turned towards students, supplies, budgets, etc.

During the course of the conversation Ms. Rita told me that she wished there was a way that people that are not really involved with schools anymore could know what teachers need and help them; specifically, local teachers. She didn't know it at the time, but boy was she talking to the right person. I immediately told her about the website donorschoose.org

Donorschoose is a website where teachers from all over the country posts proposals for things they need specifically in their classrooms. Then anonymous donors from around the country can fund all or part of the proposal. It is an AMAZING site. I have received over $5,000 worth of materials over the past 5 years. I have 2 on there now waiting for donations. Go to the website and search "Dearybury" to see them. Both of them are up for matching gifts right now, so if you give 20 its really like 40...but, I digress. :0)

Anyway, after about 25 minutes in line, Ms. Rita confessed to me that she didn't know much about computers and that she could not go on there to donate, but she wanted to give me some money to help me buy supplies for my room. I immediately told her I could NOT take her money, but in her nicest Grandma voice she said, "Well you better!" She said, "You'd take it on the website wouldn't you." She had me there, of course I would and I would be ecstatic to take it there...... I instantly busted into tears. I had never had someone who was a complete stranger care so much about me and what I was doing in my classroom. She cared so much about my little kiddos and their needs. I was overwhelmed.

I won't tell you how much she gave, but I will tell you that it is gonna go a LONG way in purchasing a class set of books for my weather unit. I cannot wait to get the books and share with my kids how we got them. The neat thing is that I found a friend who knows Ms. Rita and I got her address. I cannot wait til she gets some letters in the mail from the sweet little kids she helped. She paid it forward and I am gonna do everything I can to pay it on again!

Ms. Rita, If you ever read this I hope you know how much you made my day Sunday. I will never forget your overwhelming generosity to me and my students.

Dear Negative Nancy

Since last November when I started my weight loss journey it seems that everyone has felt compelled to offer me their advice... Eat this, not that...Eat here, not there.

As I started to lose the weight they continued to offer their unsolicited opinions regarding my clothing...That's too baggy, that's too loose... and now that I have lost a WHOPPING 70 pounds, they continue to freely give their opinions regarding my appearance... You are too skinny, you're anorexic, you look like a teenager, you're gaunt.

While I appreciate people feeling comfortable enough with me to be honest, I want to encourage all of you who know someone who has lost a lot of weight to be VERY careful what you say and how you say it.

When someone calls you skinny its one thing, (something I have longed to hear by the way!!!) but when someone refers to you as gaunt, anorexic, or scrawny, you might as well just drive the stake in them. Those words are hurtful... They are degrading... They are the "thin" equivalents to their obese counterparts such as fatty, porker, and tub of lard... I am hopeful that none of us would ever be so audacious to call those names to someone who struggles with weight. That said, be careful of what you call those who are thin.

I have struggled with weight my whole entire life. I have always been the pudgy one and I finally, thanks to the Dr., got motivated and changed my life, and probably added some years to it. I would hope that the naysayers, the skinny haters, and the opinion givers would turn their jeers into cheers and encourage me as I continue on this journey.

Thankfully, there is only a small handful of people who have been unintentionally hurtful, most of my friends and family have been overwhelmingly supportive. However, it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. From here on out I am tuning the Negative Nancys out.

And We're Off!!!!

Today is the day when I get my new kiddos for the next 180 days. I can hardly wait to see them and get to know their little personalities. I know I am there to teach them, but every year they teach me so much. Lulu, T. Lee, Jamie, to name a few former students, still teach me a lot about life and how lasting my words and teaching are on their lives.

If you don't mind, take a minute right now to say a quick prayer for me. The task is great and the responsibility is greater. I need all of His help I can get.

If you are a teacher, know that you are not alone today. All of us are lined up together to make an impact on the young lives we encounter. To quote a book my roommate has... "Teach like your hair is on fire!" Enjoy the day!

If you have a kid in school, take time this week to send your teacher a note of thanks and appreciation. You will never know how far it goes!

If you don't have a kid in school, now is a great time to find one of your old teachers and let them know how much they meant to you. With Facebook, Twitter, and Google you can find just about anybody in a matter of seconds. I can only imagine what it would mean to that teacher. I might cry just thinking about it.

Well.... gotta wrap this up. The kiddos are coming!

Back To School 5K

Yesterday I ran in the Back to School 5K at the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan. It was my 2nd race of the summer, and believe it or not, I WON my age division, 30-34... I was shocked!!!!! My time was 21:17. Personal Best at a 5K.... Here I am proudly posing with my award winning mug!!!!! Those of you who work with me, please feel free to come by my classroom and see my prize. It will be on the desk full of pens!!! Now on to the Half-Marathon in October. Wish me luck!

Facebook and Twitter

Isn't it funny how these 2 things have transformed our lives. Ok, so maybe not all of your lives, but you at least know what they are, or someone who does right?

Social networking gets a lot of bad rap from some, but to me its a new useful way of interacting with people. I am sure back in the day when the telephone first hit the world there were some folks who just didn't like them either, and who in the world can imagine living without those????

I personally love social networking. It is quick, easy, convenient...All the things we all want right? I am a member of both Twitter and Facebook. I find Twitter VERY useful for meeting other teachers from all across the country and exchanging websites, lessons, etc. What an amazing resource! Facebook is great for keeping in touch with my friends from all around the world.

If you are a faithful blog reader and not a member of either of these sites, I encourage you to go join now... It's FREE! When you get your account, be sure to let me know your name here and I'll look you up. I won't publish the comment if you want to keep it private. If you are a faithful reader and we aren't Facebook friends look me up!

Reverend Dearybury

I am our church's contact person for Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a worldwide effort to take the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world through the gifts in a shoebox filled with love. I could blog for days about OCC.

That is not the point of this post. Anyway, because I am the contact person at our church, they send me all the info I need to have a successful shoebox campaign at our church. Below is how this years letter was addressed.... I would appreciate it if all your comments started with "Dear Rev." from now on. :0)


Posted from BB's iPhone!

Location:Cool Water Ct,Boiling Springs,United States

Meet the Kiddos

This pic let's me know it is time to start meeting my kiddos for the new school year!!! Every year for the last 6, this life sized foam cut out of a kiddie me has worn the school shirt of the year. I always put it on him the day before registration so I can advertise the shirt. I am so excited to meet my students today. Let the '10-'11 school year begin!!!


Posted from BB's iPhone!

Sweaty Eyes

I know I should have done this sooner, but I haven't been in enough pain yet to cause me to do it until the last few days... Or should I say I haven't been in enough pain to not care if I look ridiculous while I am running to wear wither of these... But I got to know what you guys think... When I am running, to keep the sweat out of my eyes, should I wear a dew rag or sweat band? Let the voting begin!

Summer In A Nutshell

This summer has come and gone faster than any other in my teaching career. Today as you read this I am hard at work in my classroom and not enjoying the life or luxury some think we teachers live for 10 weeks in the summer. Since I didn't blog for most of the summer, I thought I would just list my summer in a nutshell as it draws to a close.

10. Pressure Washing... I did a lot of this the first few weeks of summer. Made some good extra money. If you read this and need something done, leave a comment and a way to get in touch with ya!

9. Mission Trip to Wyoming. I went as part of a 40 member team to build a church in Casper, WY. It was awesome... Cold weather the first few days though. I was not ready for that since it was so hot here when I left. Did I mention that we drove out there?

8. Drove to Salt Lake to meet friends Teri and Justin...Then, flew to San Diego for 4 days. BEAUTIFUL CITY! I loved it there.

7. National Teacher Symposium in Richmond, VA. I was elected to the CERRA Advisory Board, a state wide board of educators who promote the teaching profession across the state. As part of that, I was able to go to this national conference in Richmond. Great opportunity. Met lots of great people!

6.Moved my friends Sterling and Heather 3 hours away. :0(

5. Beach with family for 10 days! SO MUCH FUN!

4. 3 weeks at home. I have organized about everything I can.

3. Running... I have been a runnin' fool this summer. Completed my longest run ever (13.2 miles) Ran my fastest 5k ever (21.48 minutes) and won2nd place in that race. I have even gotten others to run with me: Matt, brother-in-law, sister, and a few others.

2. Last Day... yesterday... I did yard work from 7-12:30!!!!! Had to get it done so I would not see it today when I came home and think about having to do it... Now its done!!!

1. Missed my school! Yes... The whole time I am away, I miss my school. I love the people I work with like family, and my students are like my own kids. I can hardly wait to see everyone!!!

Cat In A Tree

Yesterday I was able to visit Lake Jocassee for the first time ever, thanks to my great friends Dan and JoAnn. It is a BEAUTIFUL lake and I absolutely had a ball. The whole time we were there I just could not believe I was in South Carolina. In a couple of the coves the waterfalls and clear water made me feel like I was in some tropical place.

During one of the many stops we made along the shores to swim and hunt for treasures, I saw this tall island that I just had to climb up on... I jumped out of the boat as soon as we dropped anchor and quickly found a path up to the top... I did not however have a plan for getting back down.

It might not look that high to you, but it was a good 12 or 13 feet off the water. IT WAS HIGH!!! On the back side, I totally good have jumped into the water because it was plenty deep enough, but I could NOT throw myself off the side. I eventually climbed down on Matt's shoulders. Of course he then climbed up there to show me how to jump off. For this bit of time that was captured on video however, I had no idea how I was getting down. Enjoy!

When in Doubt, Don't Check Out!

Yesterday I was at Office Max with a friend who was getting some things for back to school. While I was there I noticed some Nike running headphones. I have been looking for a good pair of running head phones because the ones that come with the iPod are just not good enough for lots of running. I picked up the Nike pair and headed to the checkout. I stopped to ask an associate about their return policy and she assured me that I could return them no questions asked for up to 14 days. That was great because I am picky about headphones and if they were not just right I didn't want them.

I proceeded on to the check out and started the wait... While I was there I I started the whole conversation in my head that I have every time I am about to check out... "Do I need it?" "Is this the right one?" "Is it too much money?" At this particular checkout I had lots of time to have that conversation with myself because they checker and the shopper were VERY SLOW.

In that time I was standing there, I changed my mind and put the headphones back because of a few doubts I had about them. I am glad I did because when I got home I read terrible reviews online from other runners about that particular kind. It just reaffirmed my motto, When in doubt...Don;t check out!

Palmetto's Finest

Back in March, my school won a huge award for a SC public school called Palmetto's Finest.

We now get to celebrate the title during the upcoming school year. In an effort to keep the celebration going all year, every teacher at the school decorated a Palmetto Tree to reflect something about their classroom.

Finally, after hours of work mine is finished!!! Many of you will not understand what exactly it is, but I decided to put it on here anyway because I am proud of it.

In my room I use a Promethean Board all day for every lesson I teach. It is a large interactive white board with an LCD projector at the top. I decided to make my tree look like a Promethean Board. Below are all the pics!

Here is the whole tree. I will explain about it in the pics below.

This is the projector. I used chicken wire and paper mache'. I love the cord! I had a piece cable laying around so I used it. The orange rectangles on the tree are gonna have pics of my class on them once they come to school.

Here you can see the Promethean Man Logo. Printed him off the Internet.

In this shot you see the oval shaped thing. That is called an Activvote. It is egg shaped and it is a little remote that each kid gets and uses to vote or answer questions on tests. Don't worry...This one is fake!

To write on the board you have a special pen. I didn't have a fake one so I had to be creative. I made this out of a paintbrush handle, a pipe cleaner, and the top of a straight pin.

I cannot wait for you to see all the other trees the teachers made... I will post them soon. Our school truly is Palmetto's Finest!

Mitchell and His Dog

I have been running at various places all summer, but there is a particular route near my house that I have run more frequently than others.

Every time I go down this route, whether it is 6:30am or 9:00pm, I see this same little man riding around on a motorized wheel chair with a little dog in his lap. He always smiles and encourages me on as I run. He often times tries to get his chair out of my way, but I just run wide around him. I speak to him every time I pass....usually something about the weather or his dog, that is usually growling and snarling at me!!! He just smiles and laughs and it seems to be something he looked forward to. Not necessarily seeing me, but just the interaction.

This past Monday when I was running at 6:45am I saw him and since I wasn't in a huge hurry to get done I stopped to chat. I told him if I was gonna be seeing him all the time I needed to know who he was. His name was Mitchell. He spoke with a bit of a lisp and was a much smaller man than I realized. Boy did it make his day when I stopped. We chatted for a bit about how hot it had been, and he pointed out where he lived. It was fun.. His cheering me on has been a huge encouragement to me, so hopefully I can return the favor! See ya next time Mitchell!

August 5th, 1912

This day might not mean a thing to you, but to me, it will always be a special day. It was the day my Great Grandma Maudie was born. If you have been a faithful reader here then you know she is no longer with us, but I still feel drawn to remember her on this day. Last year on the anniversary of her death, I wrote this blog to her. I miss her something awful on days like today.

One of the last pictures I have with she and I together was at her 90th birthday party. Hard to believe it was 8 years ago when I look at this pic. It is hanging in my kitchen in a matted frame with a hand written recipe that she sent to me while I was in college. I would not take 10 million dollars for it!!!!! Of course Maudie would tell me I was crazy and to take the money!!!

You may be asking yourself, "Why does he keep calling his grandma Maudie and not nana, granny, or something like that??" Well, honestly, I was in 5th grade before I realized that Maudie was her name and not a sweet name for a grandmother... That's just what everybody called her. She was so special that no common grandmother name would suit her... Some would say she was so "quare" that no other name would do. (Only a true Southerner will understand that term.)

She was indeed old and set in her ways, but she was my favorite and bestest grandma ever. I loved her so much. I hope heaven is having a big 'ole party for her today!

What If Wednesday

What if you could be on TV show, which one would it be?

What if you could have a super power, which one would it be?

What if you could be any animal, which one would it be?

These are just some silly random questions that ask myself while I run. I wonder if any you will dare to answer.


Posted from BB's iPhone!

Keep Your Head Up!

This past Saturday I was walking into the AT&T store to have my contacts transferred on to my new phone, when I passed a lady leaving the store. She was a very plain looking lady, meek in appearance, and visibly looked poor. She was walking...no car, and from the looks of her bag she was returning some opened merchandise.

When I passed her I was looking down at my feet, not to ignore her at all, but I was having one of those days where I was feeling sorry for myself and didn't feel like being chipper. I am quite certain I was not smiling at all... It had been a REALLY LONG DAY and I was up til 2am the night before on the phone with Apple Tech Support... I was just not in a good mood!

After I passed by, I heard her voice say to me.... "Keep your head up!" It kind of startled me a bit, and I turned around to look at her...She repeated, "Keep it up!", and smiled with the biggest grin!

At that moment a conviction set in on me, that unfortunately has not been there in a while... Here I was, blessed beyond measure, having all that I could ever want or imagine, but feeling sorry for myself, and this woman, who appeared to possibly be homeless, or at least not very well off, reminded me to keep my head up!

I can hear in her in my head 3 whole days later.... "Keep your head up!" I heard her the whole time I ran on Saturday.... Every time I would look down while I ran I would lift my head back up. A few times that helped me to see oncoming cars... Who knows??? Could have kept me from getting hit by one of them.

I have no idea of knowing who the lady was, and probably never ever will, but I am so glad that somewhere in her heart she felt compelled to say that to me. It might seem so insignificant to some of you, and maybe even to that lady that said it, but it meant the world to me!

Lady, where ever you are... Thanks for reminding me what it is all about!

Don't Go On A Diet...Change Your Diet!!!

Since November I have had a huge change in my eating habits... I ate so much junk and fast food that I was literally, in my opinion, committing a slow, drawn out suicide. It feels so good to be 10 months out from the start of this whole journey and say that I am still living a new healthy lifestyle.

One of the things that has helped me the most is found a website called www.livestrong.com Most all of you have heard that phrase from Lance Armstrong. This is his website, dedicated to health and fitness...

On the site, which is a free membership, you can keep track of your daily eating habits and exercise. It is pretty much just an online food journal and honestly there are dozens of them on the web. I like this one because it so user friendly.

As I was looking through the site today, I found this tab that allows you to look at your most frequently eaten foods. I was so thrilled to see this list... Of course it is not all full of produce and whole grains... There are a few McDonald's Ice Creams and Chocolate Milk (The Ch. Milk is what I drink after a run to get some carbs in me fast.) But none the less, the list as a whole is AWESOME compared to what I was eating just a short year ago. The list last year would have said Fries, Fries, Burger, Fries, Pizza, Fries, Tater Tots, Fries, Pecan Pie.... I wonder how in the world I survived?

I realize the list is kind of small, but if you click it, it will enlarge. Take a look and see what you think.

Side note: McDonald's Ice Cream is in the top 10, but look at it... Just 150 calories, 3.5g of fat, 24 carbs, and 18 sugars... It could be a lot worse!!!

You Are Good!

Love this song! It's my new favorite on my iPod!