"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."
Napoleon Hill

Sayings for this Semester

‘Greater the obstacles, more glory in over coming it.’ ~Author Unknown

I also like to repeat to myself, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."

Why is my last semester this hair pulling crazy???

And another...

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls." -Audrey Hepburn

Quote Time

"I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." ~ Michael Jordan

PEACE

PEACE. It does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble
or hard work. It means to be in
the midst of those things and still
be calm in your heart.
~Unknown

Odd

Ok, I'm at home working on my programming binder for my FINAL project. I feel the need to bold the word final and will probably have this need until mid-December when it IS final as in finito. I know I never blog so now that I'm in full on procrastinating mode I may pick the blogging habit up again.

The point of this post is the strangeness of spell check in Word. I don't remember it always being this odd, but then again I'm an American with very little English skills. I still make a point to hit the spell check button and am amazed at how many things Word thinks I should change that are WRONG. Tonight is no different. I hit spell check and it wants me to put a comma in a place that makes no sense then it wants me to change the word people to peopled. On first glance I thought geez, Word has lost it, but as I stated earlier I'm no English wizard and I'm an American. Notice I keep mentioning I'm American, because the name Katie Johnson doesn't scream American loud enough??? Ok, so I decide to test Word and it's spell check knowledge. I look up the word peopled and low and behold there is a definition for this so called word. There happened to be a link to ask.com asking if I wanted peopled to be used in a sentence. You bet I wanted it to be used in a sentence. At this point I don't believe word or dictionary.com so I click the link and here is the sentence, "We seem, as it were, to have conquered and peopled half the world in a fit of absence of mind." I will not click the change button for this word in my word document.

"Success is never final
Failure is never fatal.
It's courage that counts."

Winston Churchill

" There is a choice you have to make, in everything you do. And you must always keep in mind the choice you make, makes you.

~Anonymous

"Being attached to peoples perceptions of us, is like being attached to a sand castle." -Pema Chodron

Dead Blog

Dear Mike W:

You are correct my blog is dead. I've lost the blog interest or my life just isn't that interesting???
I'll update you bullet style;-)

* Summer started on a bad note and it wouldn't let up. The good news is I spent a day at the lake and everything in my world settled down a bit. I'm a water sign and forget how much I need to see it. Thanks Steph!
* I love, love my internship. I CAN NOT wait to be in the real world designing for real.
* I picked out all the finishes for a veterinarian hospital. The client wanted it to be very spa-like for the doggies. It was fun, stressful and WAY cool. I had to keep all the wacky codes in mind so great challenge. Also, the client like all the finishes I picked, score 1 for me;-)
*I'm suffering with my love/hate for running. Just not into it...I need a new challenge or something different.
*I'm still at Rogue selling dreams and seeing tons of dead toe nails. I don't think people realize I already know what dead toenails look like. I've had my own and quite frankly don't need to see yours. One would be amazed at the things people wanna show me when talking about running...I don't get it. I'm pretty sure I don't wear a sign that begs for you to show me your gnarly feet.
*My birthday is coming and I have NO desire whatsoever to be 36. Yeah, I know it's just a number but as far as I can tell it's a big one and awfully close to the 4-0.
*I went with Kamranto test drive Porsches. I highly recommend this activity. Um, yeah there are no words to describe the way this beautiful sports car drives.
*I have a thing for sports cars, I always have. I had tons of hot wheels when I was a child. I remember saving my money up to go to Wal-Mart and buy new ones. They cost $1.84. I would stand and stare at all of those shiny cars agonizing over which one to buy. I remember having a turquoise trans-am at one point. I loved that car!
*I need a 3rd job. Working for free is rather expensive. sigh.
*I am officially 6 months from graduation. This is going to be one of the BEST days of my life, guaranteed!!! By far the hardest thing I've ever done is go back to school.


Mike does this answer your questions?

New Chapter

I am soooo excited I started my internship today!!! I will be working part-time at STG Design. There really aren't words that can explain my excitement!! The office is cool and is hidden in the woods so there are plenty of great views. We even have a shower in case someone is running trails before work...oh, this knowledge made me smile.

I think the hardest thing for me to get used to is my computer has 2 gi-normous monitors and I spend half my time trying to open a program and think it hasn't opened only to look to my right and see the so called non-opening file big as Texas staring at me...keep looking to the right. It's gonna take some getting used to.

Oh, this place is so organized it's kinda scary. There is some system (no recollection of the fancy name) where we list our strengths with certain programs like 1-5 and the company defines what each of these numbers means. STG is in the process of switching their main 3D software to Revit and not many people in the office know how to use it. Lucky me, I've been using it for my projects for the past year. Yeah, the computer tech listed me as a 3, which is one number shy of teaching other peeps in the office how to used the program...there are only 3-4 other people in this category with me;-) WooHoo!

In other exciting news I did my first long run today. Let me clarify my definition of a long run that would be a whopping 5 mile run. Baby steps people, baby steps!

Anonymous

“The thing is, we have to let go of all blame, all attacking, all judging, to free our inner selves to attract what we say we want. Until we do, we are hamsters in a cage chasing our own tails and wondering why we aren't getting the results we seek.”
Anonymous

Perfect Timing.

Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World

1. Change yourself.
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
2. You are in control.
“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
3. Forgive and let it go.
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”
4. Without action you aren’t going anywhere.
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”
5. Take care of this moment.
“I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”
6. Everyone is human.
“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”
7. Persist.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
8. See the good in people and help them.
“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”
9. Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
10. Continue to grow and evolve.
”Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.”

I can't remember where I found this list, but I like it and its what I need right now in this moment;-)

Quote

What's done is done - William Shakespeare
Shakespeare is talking about acceptance. The facts of the past can never be changed. What we can choose is how we view those facts and whether we allow them to corrupt our future. Whatever happened, you did the best you could, given the knowledge and abilities you had at the time. Tomorrow is a new day. Begin with a fresh outlook that does not project your past into your future.
-Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Decisions that SUCK!

It's been a long day and one that should have been a happy day since it's the kick-off for spring break...but this thing called adulthood really put a damper on my happy day. I kind of think I need to avoid Friday the 13th from here on out seeing as we've had 2 in the past 2 months and they've both involved some not so great news I'm officially boycotting from now on;-)

It is with great sadness I have decided to postpone my Boston Marathon to 2010. I'm sure I'm making a bigger deal out of this than necessary, but I have shed some tears over today's decision. I am rarely one to have FoMo but I will for sure have it come April 20th.

Maybe

“If you are not making mistakes, that means you’re not trying new things.” Anonymous

Hmmm, wonder if this applies to the ass whooping I took on my Saturday run??? Let's just say I'm still pace 'challenged' and 20 seconds too fast per mile equates to one hell of a blow up;-)

Quote Time

"Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

~ Steve Jobs

HEB

How to explain my hatred of grocery shopping??? I don't know what it is but I LOATHE going to the grocery store. Something about it puts me in a bad mood and makes me want to commit terrible hurtful crimes on people i do not know.

Well, it's a new year and a new training season. I have decided to become a healthy eater...so I went to see the dietician goddess known as Meredith. We came up with some ideas as well as a new grocery store venture. Obviously, she understood the pain of me going to my ghetto neighborhood heb. We decided that twice a month I would go to the super store heb in Kyle on my way home from school. Today was my first day to try this super sized heb. I was all excited hoping for a pleasant experience one that would make me want to find the foods I'm supposed to be eating. Um, yeah, it was more like a living nightmare that involved the typical suburbia box with a grocery cart as high as I am tall (when did the buggies get this big?) next thing you know I am lost in the home area of the store and still haven't found the Alexia potatoes. I'm screwed at this point. So, my hatred for grocery shopping still exists. All I know is there is a new requirement for the men that I date. They will have to do the grocery shopping.

Seriously...

Dear FoHo and Steph your office jobs must be very boring;-)
Well, I'll give y'all a post but no complaining if it's more boring than your job. Remember you asked for it!

Spring Semester '09.

Good news this is my last spring semester, EVER. YEEHAW!!! Finally, there is light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

The bad news. I'm taking 15 hours. I've bitched moaned and groaned about the 12 hours I've taken in past semesters, why not take 15. What's one more class???

The good news about the bad news is 3 classes are online, which means I do homework at home and drive to the ACC campus to take tests. Here's what I think. The syllabus should be posted for all online classes before registration. Drum roll please. Here's why- I have a test, a paper and some forum discussion I must participate in every single week. This may not sound bad except these are classes that have NOTHING to do with Interior Design. Basically, I can't wing it and pull things out of my ass. I actually have to read chapters and take notes. I find this very annoying. I also find it annoying that Texas created the dumbest law on the planet. Don't ask me what the law's name is...something to do with the fact if you did NOT get your degree in the good 'ole state of Texas you must take TX Government, American Govt and 2 History classes. I've taken 3 of the 4 classes, BUT not in the state of Texas. These people are killing me!!! Hello, I barely scraped through the first time and was hoping it was all behind me...I did manage to get 1 of my History classes approved so I only have to take 3 annoying classes.

More good news on these online courses being through ACC, the grades don't affect my grade point at TX State, which means a 'C' is passing and done. The funny thing is I just took my TX Govt test I made a 70. I laughed when I got the score. I said it would be the bare minimum and bye golly that's what I got;-)

I'm It

Ok, I'm it. Jane has tagged me with some specific instructions. Post the 4th picture in my 4th photo album. Here ya go...



I don't think words can express my love of the Golden Gate Bridge. Obviously, it runs deep...when I went into my photo file the 4th album is labeled GGB and all it has are pix of the bridge. This particular picture was taken after I had moved away from the city but was in town to celebrate my 35th b-day. It was a perfect day, sunny and 70 degrees with good friends!!! Thanks Jane!

Just to keep the ball rolling- Dee, FoHo & Kamran you've been tagged;-)

Hopeful

Ahhhh, back to training we go, hi-ho! Actually it's great to be back into a running rhythm. Apparently, Mother Nature did not get the memo I sent in December. I was done with my 2 weeks worth of winter. HELLO- 26 friggin' degrees this morning. I have a thick fleece headband I use for skiing. Note- skiing means snow/cold, a place where one might experience 26 degree weather. I live in Central Texas where one shouldn't experience such conditions. I have been wearing that damn ski band for 2 weeks now, what gives??? I do not live in the North I do not own a snow plow as I find it wrong to need such a yard utensil.

Anyhoo- The point of me posting. I went to 'Happy Office' last night. Really just to sit, listen and hang with my peeps. For the most part I fly under my coaches radar and learn from those around me. It seems ever since my race in December I am sitting on Sisson's radar. Argh!!! The world hasn't ended and he pretty much calls me out on the things I already know but somethings I didn't think he had noticed. Boy, am I wrong. When I'm tired my running form goes to hell in a handbasket. I always knew once tired my arms and shoulders swung side to side. Really a pointless move considering I'm trying to move forward. Well, it seems Sisson noticed I do it ALL the time and when tired it's uber bad. Apparently, my shoulders, back and abs are weak. No shocker there. This am I spent the majority of my run focusing on moving my arms forward instead of side to side. Dear gawd was that hard/impossible. Geez, Louise am I way weaker than I thought. Thanks to Renee I have a 3-month pass to Castle Hill fitness, which I've been using. Tonight we're giving Pilates a chance. Something tells me tomorrow's run is going to be extremely interesting.

Happy New Year!!!

"I think you have to be willing to challenge yourself, to push yourself. To do things that maybe somebody else wouldn't do. To go places somebody else wouldn't go, both literally and metaphorically. That's an important part of really succeeding. If you're risk averse, you may be safe. But you probably won't be brilliantly successful." Dr. Judith Rodin