Monthly Archives: September 2011

Diamond Dashing

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from B-Fry’s mom with a link to this awesome contest. The contest was being put on by a local jewelry store and the top prize was a $10,000 diamond. I of course quickly signed B-Fry and I up!

Finally we received emails stating that we had been chosen to be a part of the diamond dash. The only things we knew about the contest is that we had to be at the ball diamond by 11:15 am and we could bring our bikes if we wanted.

Finally September 18th came! After a night of partying hard the night before, I was surprised how easily I got my butt out of bed. And I was even more surprised that I could function as a normal human being. :) We got ready and decided that we wouldn’t be bringing our bikes to the dash because it was drizzling and icky out. (Later learned this was a bad idea)

After some breakfast we made out way to the ball diamond. We signed a release saying we wouldn’t hold them responsible if we got hit by a car. (Um…what were we getting ourselves into?) Then waited in line where we were filmed by the local news and we supposed to appear excited about the dash. We weren’t doing such a hot job. Lol. Pretty sure it’s because 99% of us were hungover….

Finally we sign in and hand in our $25 donation to a charity that helps stops bullying in schools. We get our shirts and wait inside for details of the dash. We still have NO idea what will be happening for the day.

Waiting for the Diamond Dash to begin!

Finally at about 11:30 they start giving us the details. We will be participating in the world’s first web-based scavenger hunt and we will be receiving our clues via our cell phones on a website. We will be given clues to go to certain places in downtown Davenport and when we get there we will be given a question that we must answer on the website in order to receive our next clue and location. Not everyone will be on the same path and there will be a lot of walking/riding involved. absolutely no motorized vehicles are to be used. And the winner will be the couple to answer the most questions correctly in the shortest amount of time. Oh and the dash begins at Noon and will be over by 2pm.

After all this, we were dismissed and off to dash away.

Zach and I got our first clue and after a bit of Googling we discover our first place. We answer our question and given our second clue. We had his parents on stand by to help us out too.

We spent the next two hours running from one end of downtown Davenport to the next and back again, answering random questions about jewelry and Necker’s Jewelers. Thank goodness for Google and smart phones!

Shortcut through and alley!

Needless to say we didn’t win the diamond. Probably could have at least gotten in the top 10 if we would have brought our bikes! We did end up with 5 Diamond Dash shirts, sore bodies, and a few blisters. We also ended up with some fun memories! Oh and we got to see a guy totally wipe out on his bike and another one run right into a small tree. (Both were uninjured) Quite entertaining!

Drenched! And Dashed out!

It was a great amount of fun and something we would love to do again!

Have you even done anything like this?

Not a Size 8

I try on wedding dresses tomorrow…

I wanted to be under 200lbs, but I’m 209.

I wanted to be a size 8, but I’m a 12/14.

I wanted my arms to be toned, but they flap in the wind.

I wanted to have the “perfect body,” but I’m realizing there is no such thing.

I am utterly fine that I’m not any of the things I “wanted” to be before I tried on dresses. I’ve come to realize that life doesn’t begin when I’m under 200lbs, it’s happening now.

I’m doing something tomorrow that I will NEVER do again. And I’m going to have a complete blast doing it.

This is life, it’s happening now. Don’t wait to be “perfect” because you already are!!

 

PS: I’M WAYYYY EXCITED FOR TOMORROW!!!

No Longer A Vampire!

My job isn’t something I’ve really discussed here on my blog. In fact I don’t know if I have ever mentioned it. Hmm.

Anyways, for the last 6 years I have worked for a company that offers services to people with disabilities. I deal with people who are suffering from mental illness. So, there’s bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, and other illnesses. The division I work in is Supported Community Living (SCL), we are basically giving our individuals skills they need to eventually live on their own.

It can be a stressful job at times because there are days you just don’t know what to expect, but I will say that it can also be a very rewarding job.

When I started this job 6 years ago I used to work every shift for about a year. Then a full-time 3rd shift girl had a baby and I took over her position. So, for the last 5 years I have been working 3rd shift. Which is the easiest and most boring shift ever! My nights consist of a lot of Nick at Nite, reading, and catching up on blogs. I have very little interaction with the individuals and for a while, this was okay.

Then I started dating B-Fry, who isn’t a vampire and works during the day. So, this meant that I would want to stay awake with him on his weekends off which was hard on the weekends I had to work. I was living a double life. I’d sleep during the day if I had to work that night, but if I didn’t then I would stay up all day to be able to sleep next to B-Fry on my nights off. It really has taken a toll on my body.

Not to mention what it does for me in the trying to have a ‘normal’ schedule to keep up with this healthy lifestyle. But, I’ve done it. I’ve gripped a lot about it, but I’ve always done what I’ve had to do. Because let’s face it, there just isn’t much out there in the job market.

But about a month ago, I decided I couldn’t take it any longer. I practically begged my boss for first shift, telling her that I would do whatever I had to do to make it happen. I just couldn’t continue the way I had been. I was sleeping at odd times, when I could sleep. There were many nights/days where my body just couldn’t sleep. My poor body was just horribly confused. So, I knew that for my health and sanity, I needed to move to first shift and quit living as a vampire.

Well, last week I got the call! There was a first shift full-time opening and they were giving it to me! I was super excited to get that phone call and did a little dance.

Then my nerves kicked in and I got scared….

I’m used to working 3rd shift where I don’t do much. Where I do my paperwork while watching TV, read a lot, spend a lot of time surfing the web, and entertain the individuals if they’re suffering a bout of insomnia. Basically I’m used to keeping to myself and not having a lot of responsibility.

Now I’m moving to 1st shift where there’s A LOT more responsibility. I now will be interacting with individuals my entire shift. I’ll have 4-5 people to keep track of. Their appointments, money, meds, goals, and a million other things. I go to not doing much to being head staff in a house.

I know I can do it, but there’s that little voice that tells me that I’ll fail. That I’ll forget something and totally fuck up. That I’ll forget an appointment or screw up someone’s spending sheet. It scares me.

But, I’m going to shut that little voice up, because this is something that I really want! And I’m going to be awesome at it.

The move means great things. B-Fry and I will now be on the same schedule and I get to snuggle up to his cuteness every night. I feel like I’ll be a morning person and having a set schedule that works with the rest of the daytime working world will be something I’ll enjoy. Heck, maybe I’ll even get up and get my workouts in before work!

Tonight is pretty much my last 3rd shift. I will be working a couple next weekend until they train someone to fill my position fully. But, I’m excited to start at 8:00AM on Tuesday!

Now I must go to bed so I’m awake during the night for one of the last times!!

 

Are you a vampire? Does change freak you out?