Where's the Beach?

While I'm in Long Beach with my sister and bestie, I decided that it might be a nice time to do something different - a guest post. I wasn't sure what our internet access situation might be, or if I'd even have much time to long onto the computer. And let's face it, I should be relaxing right? So, I asked one of my dear friends, Jessica, to do a blog post. I immediately thought of her (and one other friend you'll hear from on Wednesday) when I decided to do guest posts. I know some people do them often, others never, some people won't read them. I've shied away from them before, but I know so many of you know these two ladies who will be posting, so I hoped that mean you'd all be more inclined to read their words. Jessica was one of the first people to comment on my blog. In fact, we started blogging within a week of each other. Never in a million years would I have imagined how much our friendship would grow and how much she'd mean to me. So, wi...

Doctor's Visit Follow Up I've had so many of you asking how the doctor's visit went yesterday. So, I thought I'd do a quick post to share with you all. Basically, not much to report. The good news is that the swelling, redness, pain that was all around my neck area is definitely going down. That's great because it means I can do simple things like raise up my arm without pain. Of course, as that feels better, it makes it harder to remember that I still have this clot. Of course, if you look at my neck, you can see the vein straining out. The bad news was that it could take 6-8 weeks for the clot to completely dissolve. I was hoping for more like 2-3 weeks. He did say that on Thursday he thought it would be ok for me to at least get out for a walk and said that we would slowly start adding back in activity. He also suggested doing a heat compress, that it might help the dissolving process. You better believe I'm trying it out! My initial panel of blood w...

Today I hit the gym for upper body. Nothing terribly exciting. So rather than list out my workout for the day, I thought I'd jump right on into Fun Facts Friday . I know I've talked about it before, but friendships are so incredibly important. And it's not how many friends you have that matter either, it's the quality of the friendship. And as hard as it may be to realize, not all friendships are meant to last, but some withstand the tests of time. You meet friends in so many different ways as well. Sometimes, if you're lucky, it's your sister or brother. Some you meet the first day of pre-school or kindergarten. Maybe you meet in college. Sometimes it's a totally random meeting. And you can even find the best of friends through blogging. They don't all have to be IRL (in real life) to be special. I am blessed to have my sister as my best friend. Not everyone is close to their siblings, I realize. I really cannot imagine having grown up without her...

Today the rain finally cleared out. The sun was shining and everything had a nice, fresh look - in other words, not a heavy layer of green pollen. I would have loved to have gotten out for a run, or even gotten in a workout at the gym. But, I had appointments after work (finally a hair cut and more PT) that meant I had to leave a little early. So, today had to be a rest day for me. I mean, I could have gotten up early....right...... Since I don't have too much to talk about (no workouts) and won't be home early to make a fantastic new recipe (Jason will likely get veggie burgers started), I thought I'd do something a little different - Thankful Things Thursday . Here are just a few things that I've been thankful for recently, or that have made me smile. Wine outside with my sis on a perfect, sunny, Saturday Email from a friend - the subject was "This reminds me of you." Finishing my last half marathon with Jason - this picture makes me smile. Sou...

Sappy Friendship Monday Source: google.com via Happy HouseWife on Pinterest I saw this quote on pinterest, and it is so incredibly true for me. If someone doesn't know me, they tend to think I am very reserved (well, I kind of am) maybe even snobbish because I am so quiet. It's hard for me to put myself out there to start up a conversation. I always feel awkward, like I'm going to say something totally asinine (which does happen). So, I stand back, watch, listen. I try to figure out where I might fit into the conversation, into the group. Sometimes I never do. Maybe I miss out on friendships for not putting myself out there. I've always had just a small group of very close friends - the ones that love me because I am indeed a nutcase. I will say, however, that blogging has actually pushed me into new realms of friendship. I never thought you could be friends with someone you didn't know in person, that is, until blogging. Now I truly believe that you can in...

What is a friend? Merriam-Webster defines “Friend” as: 1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : acquaintance 2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group 3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity) 4 : a favored companion We find our friends in many places throughout our lives. When we’re young, we usually develop friendships with our peers in school. As we get older, we find new friends in college and then in the workplace. If we’re lucky, we retain some of those original friendships. I am very blessed with a dear friend I’ve known for about 30 years now. She’s just like a sister to me. Speaking of sisters, your siblings may be another source for friendship. I consider my sister to be my very best friend besides my husband. So, our significant others are also a source of friendship.  Lately, I’ve realized that you can also find friendships in unlikely places like blogs and forums. I may never meet some o...