It’s been a few weeks since I’ve become a Tough Mudder.  I think it’s now due time to look back on it and give you guys a recap, particularly those of you who are interested in joining my team for next year’s (mark your calendar—it’s October 6, 2012).

First, let’s talk about training for this SOB. While I had injured my ankle pretty badly only two and a half months before (and it’s still healing), I felt pretty prepared . . . that is, until we arrived and I saw the massive ski slopes we were going to be walking up and down . . . and up and down . . . and up, up, UP and down and finally . . . back up again!  The best thing that prepared me for this? All the extensive backpacking J and I did while he was prepping for his mountaineering trip in Washington. Lifesaver right there, I tell ya.

But first, I want to backtrack to the night before Tough Mudder.  We left the DC area to head down to the Wintergreen Resort around 345 PM. After copious amounts of traffic getting from DC over to the west side to I-81, I was already beat and anxious to just get the hell there. We stopped for dinner at a Mexican joint in Harrisonburg. It was okay, but probably not the best choice the night before a race such as the one we were about to compete in. Then we arrived at our campground . . . or so I thought. We turned onto a gravel road, which at this point we were just following directions given by the national park we were staying because we were so far out in the middle of nowhere that we didn’t have GPS (well, we had GPS, but the maps couldn’t get downloaded).  So we drove for about . . . oh, 7 miles or so? At this point in time I was getting very anxious . . . we were nowhere near where we needed to be. Finally, cell service came back and my fears were acknowledged.  We needed to turn around and trek the 7 miles back and hit the road again. Thankfully, once we arrived at the end of that turn-around (which, by the way, in case you were wondering, we could only go about 20 mph on, so it took us a good half hour to go those 7 miles each way), we were only about two miles from our true destination.

We got to our site, relieved that no one had taken it so no fights were necessary to defend what was rightfully ours. We made camp and my sleep-deprived night began. First, we had extremely noisy neighbors. Apparently people have zero comprehension that when they are out in the wilderness with wide-open spaces their voices travel. And being right next to these obnoxious loud-mouths didn’t help one bit. I should also mention at this point in time I was not that cold, so falling asleep during this period would have been best for me.

They eventually shut up, but by now it had dropped below 40º and I was freezing. I had my entire body snuggled deep inside my mummy bag with nothing but the tip of my nose, but I was still shivering. Commence sleepless night.

By the time 4 AM rolled around I was begging and pleading with the sun god to make it rise faster and for Father Time to push my clock forward. Finally, after a long, cold night, my alarm sounded for our 540 AM wake-up call. We packed up, loaded up and trekked our way out.

Tough Mudder tale to be continued . . .

I’ve been given the challenge to write more in my blog.  I guess some people out there are actually starting to miss my writing.  Either that, or their are some serious stalkers in my life who like to closely monitor it . . .

Regardless, I have a lot to catch up on.  I haven’t really written since Memorial Day about any happenings.  While my life hasn’t been TOO exciting, I have grown a lot, it seems.

The other night as J and I lay in bed talking, I started to realize that, in reality, I have absolutely no freaking clue what I want to do with my life.  You see, I was thrown into what I’m doing mostly because I had to fend for myself.

I got married young and thought that was going to be my life.  I went to school on a whim and studied accounting mainly because it was something I was good at and liked, and at the same time, I loved to learn, so why not?

Then the divorce came and I was caught up in a whirlwind.  Suddenly, I was living on my own, having to pay a mortgage and take care of myself.  I was lost.  I was confused.

I stayed with the firm I took an internship with prior to my divorce mainly out of comfort.  I liked where I was and what I was doing, but mostly I really didn’t want to change.  Not to mention, I had a house I had to worry about.

Fast forward to last August and I started to realize that where I was living wasn’t where I wanted to live.  I needed a more fast-paced lifestyle.  I needed more people surrounding me.  Then you all learned I was attempting to move down here to “the city”.  I ended up coming to Bethesda in October of last year, happy and willing and ready to face whatever it was I needed to face.

Then I met J.  We clicked instantly and have been inseparable the past seven months.  He made me realize what a real relationship is; he’s taught me how a man should treat a woman; and more importantly, he’s taught me what I deserve from a man.  He fulfills me and–yes, as cliche as it may be–completes me.  He makes me whole.  I love that man with my whole being.

But the question still remains: what do I really want out of my life?  I’ve been pondering this all weekend, trying to figure out exactly what that might be.  And to be honest, I’m still not sure.  Things are beginning to develop in my head.  I want to be a career woman.  But I also want a family.  Juggling those two things in the industry I’m currently in is going to be extremely hard, particularly if I want to be the kind of mom I really want to be.  I grew up in a household where my dad was fully retired when I was five and my mom was fully retired when I was nine.   They were with me every step of the way.  Every sporting event, near or far, they attended.  They gave me a blessed life.  And that’s what I’d want for my kids, too.

So, now what?  Where do I go from here?   What steps do I need to take in order to make that possible?

I’m trying to make a transition in my life once again.  We will see if and when it occurs, but until it does, of course I’m going to be extremely vague on here about it as protection for myself, but be ready to join me in the process.  I’m sure it’s going to be long, enduring and emotional.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about friendships.  I have looked back on this almost year that I’ve been living in the “city” (although those folks out here wouldn’t say I live in the “city” because I’m about a football fields length outside the beltway, but whatever!).  Those people I used to come down and see just about every weekend prior to my move have very little to do with my life now.  I seldom communicate with them and haven’t even seen the majority of them since I moved.  Why is that?

Then I look back on the various time phases in my life.  I’ve had so many people walk in and out of my life.  True friends are hard to come by and it’s almost sad to see.  Why is that?  Why can’t people hold onto friendships longer and enjoy each other like we’re meant to ?  Why do people use and manipulate friends for the short periods of time?  And why, WHY when people actually move away do most “friends” refuse to come and visit you in your new place?  That’s the one thing I have yet to understand and figure out.

Too many times I’ve asked when I could visit with someone and I get the infamous “let me know when you’re back in the area”.

WHY?

Why is it such an inconvenience to drive an hour to come see?

I’m extremely thankful for the few friends who have done this—thank you.

And then I sit back and think about how I’ve done this myself to some very good friends in the past.  I haven’t made the move to go and visit with them.  Now, grant it, some have moved all the way to the other Coast, so it makes it a little more difficult to visit, but I’ve even done this to friends who are just a mere few hours away.  That’s an easy day trip.  Why I haven’t I made a concerted effort to change that?

Which is what I started doing a month or so ago.  A good friend of mine has been living in Annapolis now for two years.  Last month was the first time I actually went to visit her when she wasn’t back home visiting family.  That’s utterly pathetic of me as a friend.

In reality, there are very few friends from my past whom I feel are worth a long distance trip.  As of right now, I can think of 5, which is pretty shocking:  two in Cali, one in Texas, one in Indiana and one in Kentucky.  Are those other friends I once considered my “BFFs” really not lifetime friends, although I regularly communicate with them via social media or text?  Maybe.  But maybe it also has to do with the support we give each other.  Maybe it’s about the support that’s given that isn’t necessarily physical.  I don’t need to be with them in order to know they’re still my friends.

People will walk in and out of my life at a constant, fast pace.  I understand this.  I’m a social butterfly, always meeting new people and making new friendships.  I’m also understanding that very few actually last.  We may have a few good laughs, a few fun nights out on the town and some meaningful conversations, but the connections I share with a handful of people currently are so hard to come by these days.

Have you experienced this in your life too?

1. What do you traditionally do for 4th of July?
Grill out and watch fireworks.  We don’t usually tend to get too crazy

2. Did you follow your tradition this year? How did you celebrate yesterday?
We didn’t grill out because the humidity was KILLER this year, but we did go downtown and watch the fireworks.

3. What’s the best fireworks show you’ve ever seen?
This one, for sure.  MD has some of the best!

4. Have you ever been injured by a firecracker?
Close.  About three years ago when I was down at Myrtle for the holiday, some people were shooting off bottle rockets on the beach near us.  one tipped over in the sand and shot right at us, so the group ran, screaming.  I got hit with some debris from it when it finally exploded, but no real injuries.

5. Burger, Brat, or Hot Dog?
MEAT!  So, all?  But if I have to choose, cheeseburger, puh-lease.

6. Do you sport red, white and blue on our Independence Day?
Nah.

7. If you had to be from any country other than the USA, what country would it be?
Spaña

8. Charcoal or gas?
Charcoal.  Only way to grill for real.

9. What’s your favorite thing about this fair country of ours?
Freedom.  I can do what I want to do as a career, go where I want to go when I want, not be confined by certain restrictions because I’m a woman, and people are still willing to accept me.

10. God Bless the USA, My Country Tis of Thee, or the Star Spangled Banner?
Star Bangled Banner–I’ve sang this at many an event and I’ve gotten quite good at it.  You can pretty much say that song is “my bitch”.

Thanks, Chelsea, always, for hosting and for this week’s questions!

1. What’s the recipe for your favorite drink? (Smoothie, alchoholic, coffee, whatever.)
Espresso martini – 2 parts coffee infused vodka (replace vodka for water in a french press and let steep for 10-15 minutes, but no more!); 1 part Kahula; add 2-3 coffee beans for presentation.  DELIC!

2. What kind of razor do you use?
Venus.  Have now since it first came out.  I’m a very loyal customer.

3. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
To be honest (and you all may hate me for this), I didn’t really watch Sesame Street as a kid.  I watched “Reading Rainbow” though!

4. What makes the perfect salad? (Lettuce type, toppings, dressing, etc.)
ohhhhhh boy.  Are you ready?  Toasted coconut.  Shrimp.  Corn.  Avocado.  Red Onion.  Baby Greens.  Lemon Vinagrette Dressing.  Oh, yum!

5. What was your favorite subject in school?
EVERYTHING but history.  Literally.  If I could be a career student, I would.

6. What’s your favorite summer tradition?
I don’t know if I really have one, other than since my birthday just so happens to be in the summer, we make a special mean for it.  Homemade gyozas, our family recipe for a boneless fried chicken and fried rice (now you know why it happens only ONCE a year!).

7. Do you suffer from season allergies? How do you combat them?
I suffer from allergies all the time.  And yes, I’m one of those people that takes a Claritin every. single. day.

8. How often do you have to charge your cell phone?
HA.  2-3 times a day, depending on the usage.  When I’m at work, it’s generally just charging the whole day, though.

9. Do you have a bucket list?
I don’t have a a bucket list . . . yet.  I do have a “30 Before 30″ though.

10. Do you have any desire to go back to school?
Always.  Every day.  I LOVE SCHOOL.

Monday.  Memorial Day.  A day of celebration.  A day where most of corporate America is off work and enjoying the day.  Enjoying the beach.  Enjoying the very cold ocean.  Enjoying the crisp feeling of the sand striking their faces as the wind blows.

After a painful night of no sleep, J and I decided it really wasn’t that big of a deal.  After all, we were headed to the beach and what better way to enjoy the beach than to sleep on it?  Needless to say, the beach was hot, but a nice breeze kept some of the heat at bay.  We spent part of the morning waiting in line at what appeared to be the only coffee shop in the town.  The line was long, but the coffee and cranberry scones were delicious!  And they had some neat artisan work for sale as well.

To the beach we went, which just so happened to be in a national park, being sure to lather ourselves in suntan lotion.  By the time we had finished our coffee, the temperature was in the 90s and we were aching for something cold to drink.  While yes, technically alcohol was prohibited on the beach, that didn’t stop us from having a cold one as a mid-morning snack.  By 1 PM we were starving and decided to head to the local grocery store and grab some ingredients for lunch and dinner.

We bought some packaged hot dogs for lunch and steaks for dinner, thinking it’d be good to get some real grilling in while we were out camping, since our complex back home doesn’t allow it.  Since the beach was in the park, there were supposedly other places we could grill out besides the beach itself.  We stopped at a parking lot to walk to an area, but as soon as we opened the car doors, we were swarmed by a herd of mosquitoes.  Since there was no breeze here as there was at the beach, we were flesh that could easily be eaten.  Obviously, as soon as the doors were opened, they were immediately shut.  Back to the beach we went.

Lunch was efficiently made and eaten.  A few more drinks consumed (and yes, water, too, this time).  At approximately 4 PM we decided to head out and find our camping spot for the night.  We drove to a different campground than the first night we stayed, but found the price was too high.  We then drove to the only other campground in the area and decided to stay there.  Little did we know just how rotten the bugs were going to be there.  Apparently they didn’t feel the need to spray their campground as much . . .

On top of that, we bought some firewood from the camp store and found that making a fire was pretty much out of the question with it.  Since there were no actual grills there either, dinner was, well, out of the question. We went to bed hot, cranky and hungry.  And somehow I had managed to hurt my shoulder either the previous night or at some point during the day and couldn’t sleep well.  Ahhhh yes, another sleepless night into a loud and bright morning . . .

To be continued . . .

Thanks to Chelsea for hosting.  Join in the fun by linking up on her site!

1. What type of phone do you have? Do you like it?
HTC Evo 4G by Sprint.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my phone.  In fact, when it’s time to upgrade (uh, this month!), I’m contemplating going with their new one, the HTC Evo 4G in 3D.  Why?  Not because it’s 3D, but because it has a dual-processor and would be immensely faster.  Plus, it supports a much larger microSD card (64G).  Awesomeness.

2. How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
16, when I started driving.  It was only used to call my mom when I left somewhere and to let her know when I arrived.

3. How many cell phones have you owned since your first?
I can probably count . . . 8.

4. How much is your average monthly phone bill?
$94.  Includes: unlimited texting, data, mobile-to-mobile (no matter what carrier), 450 regular minutes (I average using > 20) and insurance.

5. When you were a kid/teenager, were you allowed to have a phone in your room?
I had one, but I used it mostly for the internet (good ol’ dial-up!).  I wasn’t much of a phone talker, and still am not.

6. Do you like talking on the phone or do you despise it? Or somewhere in-between?
I prefer email.  Or text.  Phone conversations aren’t really my style, unless it’s something that is important.  I prefer face-to-face time.

7. Do you text a lot? Is texting/talking while driving illegal where you live? Are you guilty of it anyway?
Not a lot, compared to some people these days.  Yes, any cell phone use is illegal in the state of Maryland.  And no, I generally don’t text and drive, unless I’m at a red light.  If I haven’t finished the text by the time the light turns green, I put it down and it has to wait.  I’ve had a few friends get into car accidents because of this stupidity.

8. What sort of texting keyboard does your phone have? Touch screen, slide out, or something different? Do you care?
Touch–I use Swype.

9. Look at the last call in your call log – who is it? What were they calling about? Who calls you the most?
I was calling a restaurant to make reservations with my friend Cat for Friday night

10. What is the longest phone call you can recall having?
2 hours.  That was when I was dating someone long distance.  Needless to say, it didn’t last long.  I need someone to be physically present.  There’s just something about looking into someone’s eyes while talking to them that can’t compare to the phone.

Some of my friends call me a sun goddess.  I love to bask in its warmth, catching the golden hue that is emitted from its rays.  Imagine my jubilation last Friday when I realized my vacation from work had begun and in two days, I would be bikini-claden and once again lying in a place I feel as though I belong.  Feet in sand; hair tossing in the wind; a slight smile on my lips and a good drink in my hand.  That was what my forthcoming week promised to hold.

However, sometimes life throws you lemons.  Lemons so stark that you just sit and look at them in amusement.  It’s at this point that I feel instead of even making lemonade, these lemons are just too sour to do so.  Instead, I throw them out.

Vacation, needless to say, was not what was promised.  I was not lying on a beach in the Outer Banks sipping on espresso-infused vodka made from scratch.  I did not get to cook for a house full of boys all week, either.  Instead, our plans completely changed—and possibly for the better.

By Sunday afternoon we decided to go off and do our own thing—just the two of us.  We drove out to Chincoteague, an Island on the northern coastline of Virginia.  It’s about a three and a half hour drive.  After getting there, checking into our campsite (yes, we camped the entire time), we decided to go and grab dinner on the shoreline somewhere.  We stumbled upon the Chincoteague Inn.  It was here that we found the locals were not city folk by any means whatsoever.  In fact, you could almost call them rednecks, and that’s saying a lot, coming from a girl who lived six years in West Virginia.  The music was loud.  The service was slooooowwww and the food was mostly all fried.  The bikers were spilling beer down their jean pockets, the women were missing more than their fair share of teeth, and the beer bellies were stocked full that evening.  The mosquitoes were no laughing matter either.  After a rather frustrating evening out, we headed back to the campsite.  Should you venture to this place for an evening dinner, I suggest eating indoors.  It was much nicer inside and a hundred times cleaner.  But alas, hindsight is always twenty-twenty, isn’t it?  Upon arrival at the campsite, we set up our hammocks, cleaned up for bed and relaxed while reading our books by night light.

That night was some of the worst sleep I had gotten in a long time.  Not only were the bugs unforgiving in their quest to venture onto my skin in my hammock, but we were also right next to a waterfowl park.  Yes, you heard me right.  Birds.  And lots of them.  So many, in fact, I was wondering when (or if) they were ever going to shut up.  It was almost as if they were sitting right next to us, wailing and honking next to us.  Then the colicky baby started.  While I know this is a hard thing for babies, and most certainly not something they can easily overcome, the crying got to me.  It was after midnight, and I just wanted to sleep.  Once the baby started to cry (and they were obviously tent campers, not RV’ers), the dogs started to bark.  This went on for hours.  Finally, I was able to drift off to sleep . . . only to be awakened a few short hours later to the sun glaring in my face and the rednecks next to us talking loudly and slamming things around to get packed up.

However, once the sun hit my face and we got up and got the coffee I needed to survive the day, I realized once my feet were in the sand at the beach that my problems would fade away . . .

To be continued . . .

There are times when I get really frustrated with the body type I’ve been blessed with.  Growing up, I play a multitude of sports, including volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball.  I played soccer through my first two years of college.  I played basketball and volleyball intramurals through college.  Currently I play on my firm’s volleyball team during the winter, kickball in the summer.  I played dodgeball this past spring.  Here’s a compilation of these times, along with their reasons.

1. Clothes Shopping

A memo to all fashion designers: NOT ALL WOMEN WERE CREATED EQUAL.  In case you didn’t know, we’re not all 5’8” with dainty bodies that look so fragile they’d crumble to pieces if you just poked them.  For once, I’d really like to be able to go clothes shopping without wondering if the pants I chose were going to be too tight in the thighs, or if they were going to fit around my ass, wondering if the shirt I picked off the rack was going to fit around my biceps, wondering if the dress shoes I thought were uber cute would fit my wide feet.  If only there were designers out there who understood this.  There are even times when I go to the sports stores, pick out a pair of soccer shorts, and find the same problem – too tight through the thighs, don’t fit around the ass.  I mean, of all things, those should be the ones to fit!  Can someone please start designing clothing that are tailored for those of us with actual leg and butt muscles and biceps that would make even your brother cringe?

1. Dating

Yes, I have a great dating track records, but often times, more so than not, I’m just deemed “one of the guys”.  Yes, I have more male friends than females.  Yes, they like me because I play sports, am a badass, confident and cocky just as much as they and can take the sick, chauvinistic, immature jokes they say.  However, when it comes to finding a partner, I really have to show my feminine side a little more when I’m interested.  It’s not easy sometimes.  I don’t really like showing the side of me that’s emotional and vulnerable.  It’s a part of me that can get easy torn down.  But at the same time, I am a female, after all.  I should feel honored to have the responsibilities that come along with that fact.

1. Bathing Suit Season

Some of us athletes look awesome in bathing suits.  We look hot.  So hot, in fact, we attract all the attention in the world.  But what you wouldn’t know, is that’s because we have to hunt and hunt and hunt for the right bathing suit so that the right *ahem* assets are shown off.  I have found, in my almost 27 (GASP!) years of existence, that I can only wear practically one style of bathing suit.  Triangle top.  String bikini bottoms (and side ties are a must).  You see, I don’t have beautiful, perky boobs to fill out the rest of those cute little bikini tops.  I also have large shoulders, which have to be slightly hidden; therefore, a halter style tie-top is best.  The bottoms are string because they make my legs appear smaller.  The ties are a diversion to the eye for that, as well.

As much as it’s sometimes a pain being a female athlete, at others times its freaking awesome.  Like last week, while playing kickball.  You see, men seem to have it in their minds that because I’m a woman, I can’t kick (i.e. I’m dainty and have no strength).  Because of that, in kickball, they always inch up a little bit closer to the infield than they would if it were a guy kicking.  So last week, what happened because of that?  I wailed it over their heads.  That’s right.  I rock.  Because of that, I got two RBI’s, as well as making a triple myself (it most likely could have been a home run, but hey—I was trying to be conservative).

Any of you other female athletes have the same problems or other ones?

Thanks to Chelsea at Roots & Rings for hosting, and Walking with Nora for getting me involved.

1. Have you ever used Craigslist?
A lot.  Found both my apartments out here.  Bought a microwave and a chair off it.  And I used it to sell various things when I was moving, too!

2. Can you sew?
Let me just say that when I was in school, Home Ec was the only class I didn’t get an “A” in.  Thankfully, I took it in 8th grade, so it didn’t count towards the GPA needed for college

3. Do you pour syrup on your pancakes or dip your pancakes in the syrup?
Pour it!!!!!

4. Rain storms: Love them or hate them?
Depends on what kind of rain storm.  I’m more of a fan of thunder storms.  If it’s just a torrential downpour, no thank.  Although it is quite lovely to listen to now that I have a patio door to open.

5. Do you like swimming?
What kind of swimming are we talking about here?  I can swim.  I like to go to pools, but do I swim laps, etc?  No.  NO NO NO.

6. What kind of drink do you order at Sonic?
Route 44 Cherry Limeade.  Mmmmmmm!

7. Are you funny?
So I’ve heard . . . then again, what do I know?

8. At what age will your kids get cell phones?
When they drive.  And it won’t be utilized for just a social thing either.  Kids that are under the driving age and have phones, particularly smart phones with all the stuff that goes along with it . . . well, it’s pathetic, in my opinion and completely unnecessary.

9. What’s your favorite vegetable?
Ohhhh boy, that’s hard.  Carrots?  Potatoes?  Onions, even?   Hmmmmmm, although, I’d probably just have to go with a fresh ear of corn.

10. Were you a Girl Scout?
I was for about two years, then quit.  Just wasn’t my thing.  I never got past the Brownie stage.