I am writing a blog post! Crazy!

Perhaps before any regular blogging can happen, I have some serious catching up to do! In a nutshell, I have been busy. Life over the past couple of months has included a new kitty, a cross-country move, setting up a new house, and starting a new job.

Blog World let me introduce you to Sammy!

Two weeks before we moved a friend’s daughter found a litter of  kittens.  After seeing pictures of the litter on Facebook we decided  that we should go see them and we came home with Sammy.

At first Sophie was not to welcoming of her new brother but after several weeks they are now buddies (for the most part).  I was kind of nervous about getting a kitten weeks before it all worked out.

Early May: We officially packed up our house in San Antonio. We let the movers take all of our “big” pieces and we filled a U-Haul with  all of Allyn’s tools, stuff the movers would not take and the Scirocco (behind the U-Haul of course).

After two days of intense driving we finally arrived at our new home  in Florence, Kentucky.

Since we arrived a few days before the moving truck we had to time to paint a few rooms before the furniture arrived.

After we got everything into the house – we made another trip down to San Antonio to pick up our Cats and close out the house in San Antonio.

Memorial Day weekend was spent driving two cats from San Antonio to  Northern Kentucky. We survived the road trip and the cats even enjoyed  their first say in a hotel room.

At the beginning of June I started the next chapter of my career at the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives on the campus of Hebrew Union College.

Overall I am settling into my new life in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area. There have been a few moments of  frustration and homesickness but many more moments of excitement. I look forward to  exploring a new area and living in a new part of the country!!!

The exhibit Diana: A Celebration is making its final stop at the Cincinnati Museum Center. The exhibition celebrates the life of Diana (Spencer), Princess of Wales. Included in the traveling exhibition are items from Althorp Estate, the Spencer Family’s ancestral home in England.

Containing around 150 items, the exhibit provides an insight into Diana’s life from her childhood to her death. The highlight of her exhibit is the dress Diana wore when she married Prince Charles. Also noteworthy are the Althorp family jewels, which opens the exhibit. Perhaps the most touch items on display include those from Diana’s childhood: ballet shoes, toys, Diana’s school uniform and trunk. Accompanying these items are home movies captured by her father, who was an amateur photography. Another enjoyable aspect of the exhibit is a collection of dresses worn by Diana, including clothing she worn while raising awareness of landmines.

The exhibit does not place negative emphases on her death yet commemorates her death by showing how her loss was mourned throughout the world. Included in the exhibit are condolence books from the around the world, a draft of Earl Spence’s (Diana’s brother) eulogy and a signed draft of Elton John’s Candle in the Wind.

Throughout the exhibit there are panels providing information on Diana’s life; this could lead to good amount of reading. The exhibit also contains a fair number of video footage of significant events in the life of Diana. Available for an additional charge is an audio guide available. The audio guide provides extra information on the items and provides discussion on the design of Diana’s wedding gown and the other clothing items on display. If you plan on reading all of the exhibit panels and listing to the audio, plan to spend several hours in the exhibit. However, if you plan to just leisurely stroll through the exhibit, the exhibit may be viewed in about 30 minutes.

Diana: a Celebration will be on display at the Cincinnati Museum Center through August 17. Entry fees for the exhibit range from $24 for adults and $16 for children; the audio guide can be purchased for $5. Members of the Cincinnati Museum Center will receive a discount on the entry for the exhibit. Advanced tickets can be purchased.

The ticket prices seem a little high given the length of the exhibit. It was first thought that proceeds from the tickets were going to support the Princess Diana Fund yet no information about this could be found on the exhibition’s website.

At the end of the exhibit, the Cincinnati Museum Center has prepared a short exhibit entitled Daughters of the Queen City. The exhibit celebrates the legacy of Cincinnati women. This is a great example of local women’s history.

When I started this blog I was grieving the loss of my grandfather, dealing with learning my former husband was gay, going through a divorce, living in a big house all alone,  I let myself go, and I was trying to figure out which career path was best for me.  Three years later, I am dealing with the loss of my grandmother (one of the women who raised me), I have found love, and married my soul mate.  I have started taking care of me.  I have learned that archives and history is the correct career field for me, but I am still figuring out how I want to accomplish my goals and dreams.

I have found Amy.  She is a girl who longs for learning, loves her family and friends, loves to explore the world around her.  She is artistic and academic, she is athletic and competitive, and she is constantly striving for her best and reaching for her dreams.

The last couple of weeks have taken me on a journey I have never expected: I watched my grandmother die, was married, and let go of a dead-end job.  In the process, I have learned what is the most important to me: family, happiness, and integrity.  Without these three, I cannot be who I am really am.

Sometimes finding YOU means moving out of your comfort zone.  Sometimes it means standing up for what you think is right or just, even when others may not understand.  Sometimes it means taking a risk.

Recently I started a new journey of finding Amy.  I am working on better defining who I am.  I am chasing my dreams and taking risks.  This is my journey…

My Oh my … I cannot believe it is has been this long since I sat down and wrote a blog post.  Life has been GOOD but time just seems to be flying by.  My camera and phone seem to be filled with pictures but I have not had time to sitting down to edit or organize them much less blog about them.  The hustle and bustle of the last few months have been so memorable and rewarding.

1. We attended the Chief’s Ball

Allyn is a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy.  In September we attended that Khaki Ball with is semi-formal dinner for the Navy Chiefs.  The Chiefs wear their khaki uniforms and it is semi-formal for the unlisted spouses and significant others.  At the Khaki Ball Chief who just made the rank are welcomed to the mess.  There is also lots of socializing, dancing and fun!!!  For me it was a good introduction of what type of community and family the Navy and the Chief’s Mess is.

2.  We went to the Navy Ball … and Allyn proposed…

October 11 we attended the Navy Ball for Allyn’s command.   It was at the Oak Hill Country Club – lovely location!!! Different from the Chief’s Ball the Navy Ball includes people from all ranks and since he is at a joint command, people from other branches military are invited.

Allyn seems a little “nervous” that night … kind of like he was hiding something or that he was nervous about something.  After dinner and speeches the toasts started.  During the toast section of Ball, Allyn made the final proposal and it was one of marriage.  Allyn asked me if I would embark on a new adventure with him … if I would marry him.  Allyn got down on knee … I was in total shock.  All of his military buddies were in on it and could not have been more supportive and excited for us.  I am a hard person to surprise and Allyn pulled it off.  I still do not really know how it came up with the idea and how he pulled it off but for one night, I felt like a princess.  I think I spent half the evening in shock.  For me it was like a fairy tale ending or beginning!!!

3.  We started planning our wedding

After the reality of “we are engaged” set in we started talking about where, when and how we wanted to get married.  We decided that we wanted to get married at the same time Allyn retired from the Navy – January 31, 2014.  We also both wanted a small ceremony and reception with just our close family and friends.  The end result was…

Tower of the Americas

February 1, 2014

4.  Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky

At the beginning of November, we head up North to Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky.  Allyn was exploring a post retirement job opportunity with the website he works for.  We were also able to have some fun with friends and explore the area.

5.  The Rock n Roll – San Antonio Half Marathon

Just a week after returning from our trip I laced up my running shoes and ran in the Rock n Roll Half Marathon.  I completed the race in around 3 hours…  I think what I was most proud of is that I never stopped and I was always moving.  Another proud moment was crossing the finish line running!!!  I can’t wait to do another half marathon!!!

The other day a friend of mine posted “the travel list challenge”, a list of 100 places to visit before you die.  Looking through the list I was reminded how many places I still need and want to visit.  I was also reminded of various travel adventures I’ve had:

1. The Alamo – Visited many times
2. Alhambra
3. Andros Island
4. Angel Fallas
5. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
6. Atlantic City Broadwalk
7. Ayers Rock
8. Big Ben – 2007
9. Bora Bora
10. British Museum
11. Canals of Amsterdam
12. Cathedral of Seville
13. Cave of Crystals
14. Christ the Redeemer
15. Clique Terre National Park
16. Colosseum
17. Crater Lake
18. Dead Sea
19. Death Valley
20. Devil’s Tower
21. Dome of the Rock
22. Easter Island
23. Edinburgh Castle
24. Eiffel Tower
25. Empire State Building – 2012
26. The Forbidden City, China
27. French Quarter – 2008
28. Galapagos Islands
29. Gateway Arch
30. Gettysburg Battlefield
31. Glacier Bay Basin
32. Glacier National Park
33. Glowworm Cave
34. Golden Gate Bridge
35. Grand Canal
36. Grand Canyon
37. Grand Mosque in Mecca
38. Great Barrier Reef
39. Great Mosque of Cordoba
40. Great Wall of China
41. Hagia Sophia
42. Hawaii Volcanoes
43. Holley Boulevard
44. Iguazu Fallas
45. Kiyomizu Dera
46. Kremlin
47. Lake Titicaca
48. Las Ramblas
49. Las Vegas Strip
50. The Leaning Tower of Pisa
51. Louvre Museum
52. Machu Picchu
53. Matterhorn
54. Mayan Pyramids of Chichen Itza
55. Metropolitan Museum of Art
56. Mount Everest
57. Mount Fuji
58. Mount Kilimanjaro
59. Mount Rushmore
60. Napa Valley
61. Ngotongoro Crater
62. Niagara Falls
63. Norte Dame Cathedral
64. Pacific Rim National Park
65. Pebble Beaches of Nice
66. Petra
67. Petronas Twin Towers
68. Portland Head Lighthouse
69. Puerto Del Sol
70. Pyramids of Giza
71. Redwood National Park
72. Rock of Gibraltar
73. Rocky Mountain National Park
74. Ruins of Athens
75. Ruins of Pompeii
76. Segrada Familia
77. Sears Tower
78. Sedlec Ossuary
79. Sistine Chapel
80. Smithsonian Institution 2008, 2012
81. Space Needle
82. St. Peter’s Basilica
83. Statue of Liberty
84. Stonehenge – 2007
85. Sydney Opera House
86. Taj Mahal
87. Temple of Golden Pavilion
88. Teotihuacan
89. Tian Tan Buddha
90. Time Square – 2012
91. Versailles
92. Victoria Falls
93. Wailing Wall
94. Walt Disney World Resort – 2010
95. The Washington Monument – 2008, 2012
96. White Cliffs of Dover
97. White House – 2008, 2012
98. Winchester Cathedral
99. Yosemite National Park
100.  Zion National Park

Training this week was basically a big flop….

Sunday, I only managed to get 4 miles plus weights.  Monday I had a lot going on and ended up not making it to the gym.  I did make it to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday.  Tuesday I did three miles plus weights and Wednesday I pulled off 10 miles in addition to weight training.  The rest of the week in terms of working out was a total blow out…  Thursday and Friday I had work related events in the evenings so I didn’t make it to the gym and Saturday I decided to get some extra rest so I didn’t make it to gym or marathon training before a day of activities started (a day that did not end until 2:00 am).

I am struggling with how to train for an event like a marathon and still be social and have a career.

To add insult to injury when I stepped on the scale I gained a few pounds.  My goal was to be nearing the 140s near my birthday at the end of the month but instead I find myself back in the 160s.

To be a good runner, I know I need to shed the extra weight, which I am trying to do during the training process.  This seems to be a bigger challenge that I thought possible.

I had a really good workout on Sunday, but after stepping on the scale I am just flat out down in the dumps today.  I am ready to give up.  Someone told once told me “you need to take a step back from working out when it is no longer fun for you.”  I can say it too that point but how do you take a step back but still meet your goals.  I still want to run the half marathon and I still want to lose the weight but I don’t want to feel like it is a dark cloud over me.  I would like the weight loss to come because of the training I am doing, but I am having a hard time balancing training and life.

Overall, this was a good week in terms of training.

Running … this week I ran around 29 miles. Sunday, I did 11 plus miles. I broke it up into two runs – the first I did around 4 miles and the second I did around seven. Overall, my body felt okay afterwards, but I was just completely wiped out. This run was also at the gym and not outside, but at least my legs are getting use to running for the period of time. Each day following, I did at least three miles; most days I did around three and half to 4 miles. On average, my runs are around 30 minutes. Again I am in doors and not outdoors. I noticed towards the beginning of the week my runs were quicker and almost effortless. As the week progresses, it seems as if they take more effort.

Saturday morning I missed marathon training group again. I just could not pull myself out of bed at 5:30 am to go running. My body said no. I slept a bit longer and then went to gym mid morning… big mistake the gym was packed.

Weight training continues to be hard. I think this can be contributed to three things. First, I have a phobia of weights. I feel like I know what I need to do but when it comes to doing it, I freeze. A great fear comes over me when I walk into the weight area at the gym and I forget what I know how to do. Working with trainer definitely made weight training easier for me. I had not seen the trainer for now three weeks and definitely can tell my weight training is missing it. It is as if I need someone to help with the correct form and encourage me. It also makes walking into the free weight area easier. I feel less intimidated with a partner than what I do when I am alone in the weight area. Finally, I think running is wearing my body down and I am too exhausted to focus on proper weight training. I keep thinking about switching it up but I never do it; it is habit that I run first and end up never changing up that habit.

Eating … is a subject I don’t even want to discuss. I honestly think I have forgotten how to eat correctly. My appetite is screwed up … to put it bluntly. I have been doing a lot of stress eating. When I say stress eating I meaning eating things I know I should not. One thing that does not make it easier is that on Friday nights our neighbors like to sit out, have a few drinks, and unwind. While I greatly enjoy this… this makes getting up and running Saturday a killer. I am also consuming a bunch of “empty” calories, which I do not need. I need to figure out away to not drink and still be social. The hot weather also makes me not want to not cook… This equates to fixing things that are easy but not healthy.

Overall, I am still questioning why I want to run a half-marathon. I think the bottom line is that it gives me something to work towards. I know I can do it. I think the training schedule is a little bit more than challenging than what I expected. When I say challenging, I think I mean more time consuming. Spending close to 2 hours at the gym, a day is starting to get old to put bluntly and I feel guilty about it but then I question what else I would be doing with my time and being at the gym seems to make sense. Working out with a trainer at least twice a week definitely helped to change things up a little, I hope getting back on course with the trainer will help.

I think this weekend I reached a mental melting point when it came to training. I was just done, I think I could have walked away from training from the gym and just could have been done with all. I think there was a point I didn’t care about losing anymore weight or training for the marathon or nothing. The thought of putting ear buds in my ears, getting all hot and sweaty, just flat turned my stomach. I pushed through and went to the gym and did a good workout.

Part of my mental melt down I think had to do with how I looked and felt. I had a bad flare up with acne over the weekend and going to gym and getting hot and sweaty makes my face burn and hurt even worse. Additionally, it makes me feel ugly and I did not want to be seen in public – even if it was at the gym. It’s a real battle for me right now… sometimes I just want to cry in middle of my runs because my face hurts (starts burning) so badly; that was case this weekend. After I came home and took a shower … it just burned so bad… nothing I seemed to put on calm it down and felt yucky (ugly). I think that all played into my mental melting point. I think the other part of the mental melting point came from loneliness at the gym. I long for a workout partner, someone to connect with while at the gym.

This week, my goal is do three plus miles each day again. I also need to do some speed work. I am going to continue to try to focus on weight. I am also trying to figure out what is going on with the trainer… we getting back on schedule or I am going to be trying to find a new schedule.

Why, I like you too….

I spy with my little blue eyes …

Ice Cream … now that is what I call dinner.

I love my blanket ….

I want to play with that.

Relaxing.

This is my bag.

Sleepy kitty.

New play toy.

Happy Birthday Grandpa … now give me cake!!!

I may be a Russian Blue, but Italian is a favorite.

Being a kitty is hard work… must nap.

They brought me food…. can’t wait must eat now!!!!!!

Naptop … It’s nice and warm..

Returning to the gym after a week off went as good as could be expected.  From Sunday, June 23 – Saturday, June 29 I ran around 25 miles. Getting back to weights was a little hard.  The other thing I struggled with all week was eating, I was constantly hungry and was having hard not eating everything in sight.  

I did not make it to the marathon training group due to a 5K on Saturday morning.  The 5K went well my time was 20:15 I am still not sure I how I completed in that time but I did.  My biggest complaint about the course was that there was no water stops and I did not bring my water belt, so I was greatly dehydrated afterwards.  

This week I am trying to focus on staying hydrated and on getting back on a solid weight training schedule, along with running. I am also trying to get my eating under control.

 In terms of weight I still have not stepped on the scale but I feel like I am starting just maintain and not lose and I need to get to losing again.  

 The last couple of weeks of training have been challenging.   Towards to the end of week 3 Allyn’s family came into town.  That week was spent preparing for them and my mom also had surgery that week which made training challenging.  Never the less, I managed to run every other day and got up to go the Saturday training program at the end of week 3 but after that, it was downhill.   Training got put to the side as I visited with his family.  

Week 4 was a complete washout … I was trying to get out of work early most that week so I was working through lunch (hardly eating and not eating correctly) and my evenings were dedicated to spending time with his family.  I think I mentally needed a break from the gym and working out.  However, the eating and drinking which occurred during that time off has taken a toll on my body.  It was not that I necessarily ate bad but the food was different and my schedule got interrupted.   In addition to not exercising or running correctly, I think my body was confused.   I don’t even want to see the week off did the scale so I am avoiding weighting myself for a while.

Yesterday, I return to the gym.  I did a 5.25 mile run and weights.     My goal for this week is to run and do weights every night.   I have to get my body back into workout mode.  The other challenge I am going have this week is that I need to focus on eating correctly.  My stomach is so torn up from an abnormal eating schedule and different food that I have to get back to some normalcy, although I am not sure how I am going to do that, every time I think about food or even attempt to put something in it, I get extremely queasy. 

I think having a week, made me realize that exercising and eating right/healthy is something I need – it is part of what keeps my sanity in check and makes a productive person.  I am starting to question running the marathon…. While it is something I want to do, I am fearful that I mentally and physically complete that distance.