Things I’ve been thinking about lately…

Running

I officially signed up for the Des Moines Marathon. It’s real now. Training is going well, and my friend David has also signed up for the full marathon, so I know I’ll have a running partner, which really makes me feel better.

Gun Control

The more people talk about gun control in relation to the recent Colorado movie theater shootings, the more I realize how pro-gun control, anti-gun I am. I think they are dangerous, I think people use them irresponsibly, and I think that more people are hurt by accidents or crimes because of the wide availability of guns than are actually protected by everyday citizens owning guns. It’s just what I think, inarticulate as I may be when discussing it.

Food

I’ve been doing better about eating healthy foods lately, partly because I’m trying to be good and track with Weight Watchers again, and partly to better fuel my running. I’m getting to the point where my body is feeling fatigued from all of my activity, and I need to make sure I fuel it correctly in order to perform the way I want.

Chiropractic

I started going to a chiropractor regularly, because for a few days at a time, I had intense pain in my lower back, in the same area of an old high school dancing injury. I found out that I have a sixth lumbar (most people have five), which makes me more flexible but possibly more prone to injury in my low back, and that I am also out of alignment. The pain in my lower back has not returned, and I’m hoping that this continual care will help with as active as I am, and will increasingly be as I train.

Buying a House

Caleb and I have been discussing buying a house, and have mostly concluded that we are super lazy and might not be quite ready to be homeowners. Kind of sad, but we were honest with each other: we don’t want to mow a lawn, remove snow or fix things ourselves. But we do know that we want to buy at some point, so we’ve agreed to talk to a mortgage/loan officer this fall, and scope out neighborhoods and what type of house we want/like this winter, and then start looking next spring.

Our Next Big Trip

I am already thinking about where I want to go – Asia (China/Great Wall, Thailand)? Africa (safari/hike part of Mt. Kilamanjaro)? South America (Brazil, Peru/Machu Picchu)?

Moving Up at Work

I am not looking to leave my position any time soon (too much stress with marathon/new class coming up), but I am looking around and considering my options for how to move up either within the Foundation, or on the university side. I hope I can find something that suits my interest and helps me continue to move forward. For now I’m just looking around ISU – because I love working here so far!