My Experience with the COVID-19 Vaccine

So first, let me start by saying I feel extremely grateful to have been in the first round of recipients. Working in the clinic setting I thought I would have been in a second or maybe even in a third wave of recipients but with the possibility that it will become necessary to deploy ambulatory RNs into the hospital in the event of worsening COVID surging I was able to get both vaccinations at early dates. I feel for those healthcare workers who have been on the frontlines from the beginning yet still unable to receive it at this time even though they are the fighting hands, day in and day out, aiding in saving lives of so many who have become infected with this awful illness. My hope is that all healthcare workers and non healthcare workers will have it in the coming weeks to months so we can all start to feel at least a little protected as we attempt to return to normalcy.

Vaccination #1 – Saturday, December 19, 2020. 10:00AM

Initially, I felt fine. My arm a little sore – to be expected, a sharp object was just jabbed into it. I came home from receiving my vaccination and went about life as normal. Tyler and I went for a walk, ate lunch, cleaned house… honestly a pretty normal Saturday.

Then somewhere around 4pm, I was wiped out!! I felt like a train hit me. We had just gotten back from our walk about 30min prior to and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. By 4:30, I couldn’t fight the urge to fall asleep any more and climbed into bed. I slept harder than I have ever slept for 2 straight hours. By the time I woke up, my arm HURT. I actually only woke up because I rolled over onto that arm and the pain woke me. I stayed awake for a few hours then returned to bed by 9pm and called it a night.

The next morning I was a little groggy and had a dull headache. By the 24hr mark I was okay, minus my arm. The arm pain started to fade by the 48hr mark and was completely gone by Tuesday when I woke up.

Vaccination #2 – Thursday, January 7, 2020, 10:00AM

Just like the first one, initially I felt okay. I had the vaccine, waited my 15min then headed back to work (at home) for the rest of the day. The first few hours were business as usual, then it hit me like a ton of bricks…

Around 2:00 the headache started, just a dull annoying headache but nothing seemed to make it go away. I tried Tylenol, caffeine, and extra water – my usual cure for all headaches. By 4:00, the chills set in. I felt like I was freezing in my 70 degree home with sweats and a blanket on. By 6:00, I was full on miserable. My head was pounding, my body ached, I was shivering like I was in the Arctic in a bikini, and my arm felt like it was rammed by a bull running full speed. I took another dose of Tylenol at about 8:30 and went to bed to try and sleep off the misery.

The next morning, the headache and just general feeling of brain fog were still present as well as the body aches. I was able to go into work and complete my day but boy do I wish I had it off so I could have slept off the rest of the misery. By about noon, the brain fog and headache did begin to lift and by around 4:00/5:00 the body aches were diminishing. Again, this night, I was in bed by around 8:30pm but thankfully, I only needed to take one dose of Tylenol all day.

The following morning, my symptoms were almost completely gone. A dull headache and a sore arm were my only remaining side effects. The headache went away by the end of the day and the sore arm gone by the end of day Monday.

All in all, even though I did experience side effects, I feel so blessed to have had the vaccine and I feel that it was well worth all the discomfort I felt in the days follow receiving it. I know there is still so much unknown about the vaccine and honestly the virus itself but I feel like it is a great step towards us at least attempting to return to normalcy.

If you have had the vaccine already, please share your experience below. And if you have not received it yet and have questions, please reach out. I would love to answer any questions that I can or at least help direct you to a credible site for further information.

xo, Kathryn

*disclaimer* This post reflects my personal experience with being administered the Pfizer vaccine. You may or may not have the same experience.

Cooking with Tyler – Week 1

So anyone who knows Tyler, knows he loves a recipe for an idea THEN he basically throws it away midway through preparing the meal and runs with the rest of the dish how he sees best fit. Let’s be real, sometimes this makes something that would be good — AMAZING… and other times, well it ends up with whole lot of love, some crazy flavor, and maybe even a run to Taco Bell.

So for our first recipe we made Avocado Toast with Miso Fast Greens from Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky’s cookbook, Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. Sounds like a simple recipe but trust me, Tyler found his ways to mix it up…

Ingredients:

whole grain bread – Nope, Tyler doesn’t like whole grain so Italian bread fo us
avocado
greens – Tyler used kale
eggs
salt
pepper
olive oil
miso butter
garlic – Tyler used pre minced from the jar
red peper flakes
sesame seeds – I forgot to buy (oops!)
everything bagel seasoning – added by Tyler
balsamic vinegar – added by Tyler

And notice, I did not put the amount for anything…. Tyler eyeballed from the start today.

Step 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add greens, stirring frequently, until wilted – done to perfection!

Step 2. Add miso butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes and saute – after a look of disgust when opening the miso butter, he completed this step to perfection… minus the measuring part.

Greens Complete….oh what there is more! Batch 1 turned out perfect and there is so much kale left over, now lets skip the miso and add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper! Check! Oh wait, there is even more! Now lets make them with just olive oil. Thank goodness Tyler liked the extra special flavors… because nope, that was a funky combo of flavors (and yes, he used the same pan from the first perfect batch through his specialty concoctions…Hello Flavor!)

Step 3. Toast the bread, scoop half an avocado on each slice, smashing the avocado with the back of the fork onto the toast – sous chef to the rescue! My only appearance till clean up has been made. Done to perfection if I do say so myself!

Step 4. Place greens on top of layer of avocado – we had two pieces of toast each, and the mystery greens were a thing. Tyler didn’t tell me which piece had which of the specialty greens so the first bite sure was interesting. Hint, it wasn’t the delicious Miso Greens!

Step 5. Make the perfect fried eggs and place on top of greens- I have to give Tyler credit, he made 4 perfectly cooked, runny eggs. Bravo, Chef!

Step 6. Garnish with red pepper flakes and sesame seeds – not a chance! Garnish by Tyler was Everything Bagel Seasoning — this was actually a great choice! The extra salt was the perfect addition.

So all in all, we ended up with something that was pretty similar to the original recipe, only a few twists and turns. Judge Kathryn (me) gave Tyler a score of: 8. Would have been a 9 but he used too many unnecessary dishes (that I had to clean up).

See below for the original recipe and let me know if you decide to give the Pros or Chef Tyler’s version of the recipe a try!

Happy Cooking!

xo, Kathryn

Let’s Try This Again… Hi, My Name is Kathryn

Hi! Wow, how has more than 2 years gone by since I last post!? Yikes! I have to say, I have certainly missed writing. So with this [ridiculously] long delay since my last post, please allow me to reintroduce myself, or should I say, introduce my NEW self! Just kidding, still the same me, just a new last name….

Hi, my name is Kathryn Meadley. I married the LOVE of my life, Tyler, on 10.31.2020. With the marriage I also got the best puppy son in the ENTIRE world, Ash. He is my shadow, snuggle buddy, and is 100% a mama’s boy. Tyler said he lost him to me while we were dating but being married is a whole new ball game. Don’t worry, you will hear more about both my boys frequently if you continue to follow along through this journey.

And yes, my gray fur baby kitties are also still around. We are a happy family of five. The kitty cats are still just as cute and needy as ever. Debra is my sassy, little girl and Dexter, Debra’s son (we think), is still just as scared of life as ever before. He trusts his people and his mom (Debra) ONLY! But hey, even though he is always in his constant state of hiding, Debra takes great care of him and makes sure neither of them EVER miss a meal.

I also still work as a Registered Nurse. I work for an outpatient cardiology clinic… yep, I left the 12 hour shifts and back breaking work of the bedside for the 8-5 Monday – Friday life. It certainly has its perks but sometimes I do miss those mid week days off. Hard to say no to weekly routine and a consistent sleep schedule though. I have been with this clinic for almost a year and it has treated me well. I even get to work from home from time to time… certainly nice during a pandemic.

Exercise …. well that’s been a bit all over the place. I MISS RACES and EXERCISE CLASSES (without masks)! They gave my TRAINing purpose but I am navigating the online fitness world and am slowly finding a love for BeachBody on Demand. Maybe one day I will follow a program from start to finish but for now I am enjoying the ability to change it up most everyday. As for running, I am finally finding my stride. I had an injury shortly before the wedding (just another obstacle to juggle as a COVID bride! Insert full sass eye roll! haha) that kept me off the pavement for about 3months but over the last few weeks I have started to run more consistently and its starting to feel less like torture.

Food…. this has been a HUGE perk of getting married. Tyler is a GREAT cook and LOVES to cook! #winning!!!! Tyler does about 90% of all the cooking in our house and it is AMAZING!! Yes, I still hate cooking so I have become a great dishwasher while he creates fantastic meals. Slowly, I will transition him to cooking healthier meals but for now I am enjoying not picking up a pot or pan or planning a single meal. It sure is nice to actually EAT at least one good, home cooked meal a day. Oh, how I love this man! (PS this no cooking thing has had its trade off… I am now the Laundry Queen!)

I think that about sums up an introduction/where I am at in life now. I cannot wait to connect with each of you in the coming weeks and months!

XO, Kathryn

All or Nothing

How is it possible that we can go from going 500mph, firing on all cylinders, 100% of the time to these periods of nothing?! Its an odd feeling, and currently, thats the state I am in. I am trying to effectively navigate it but honestly, it almost seems like more of a struggle than the 500mph I am used to. So how am I embracing it….

First, sleep! Yes, I am still working the night shift but that is only 1-2 nights a week right now so I am 100% allowing myself to recover from each shift. This has been an incredible change of pace and honestly is making the night shift a little more bearable.

Number two, friends! All those people I neglected the past 6months, I am making an effort to see and it has been fantastic. I have loved reconnecting and just enjoying the ability to really embrace conversation that during times of chaos doesn’t happen.

Three, my house is finally getting some MUCH NEEDED love! I feel like it has been neglected since I moved in nearly three years ago since I started nursing school almost immediately after purchasing my home. I have been cleaning out and redecorating and it feels so good (even if it is still a work in progress).

Four, I am actually working out again! I have been running (alone and with friends…hey more connection!), lots of long walks with some of my favorite podcasts, and going to core power yoga several times a week.

Five, cooking real meals! This is strange but I have to give all the love to Trader Joes, with this extra time, it is allowing to actually get back in the kitchen without it feeling like such a chore.

And last but not least, six. I am back out there dating!!! Yes, you heard that right. Over

the last few weeks I have gone on some great dates and I am really enjoying putting myself back out there. Just like the free time thing, this is also strange but I am ready to fully embrace it…. and I promise, no more long distance relationships for me!

So to close, the past 6 month have brought a lot of change in my life for both the good and the bad. I have had the highs of graduating nursing school and passing my boards to the lows of losing my grandma and so much in between. But regardless of these highs and lows, it has brought me to this 5 week period of “free time.” Time I am not sure how to use, but I am trying to take advantage of as I know I will probably never have these days again.

Leave a comment below and tell me how you use your free time!

Raw Generation Protein Cleanse

A couple weeks ago I gave my first “juice cleanse” a try. Being as I had never done one before I was a little nervous so I did a lot of research before landing on this particular cleanse. I had no idea there were so many out there! Seriously, it took a while to pick the right one for me and I highly suggest you do your research to pick the right one for you if it is something you’re interested in.

Here is why I picked the Raw Generation Protein Cleanse:

PRE-MADE, ready to go, no work on my part! Sounds lazy but I am a woman on the move. I already have to schedule sleep in my planner so I didn’t want to now have to take to the cutting board and blender for hours a day. Plus this made it easy to take multiple juices with me.
Throughout the day you are getting to mix things up, there are three true juices and three that are more like protein shakes. Unlike traditional juicing I had multiple flavors throughout my day.
This cleanse actually had calories. Each day was about 950 calories. A lot of the other cleanses I looked at only had about 400-500 calories per day. I don’t know about you but that is not nearly enough for me.
I didn’t have to give up caffeine. The cleanse allows for black tea or coffee.
If you need a crunch, raw veggies are allowed.
Options! They had a 3, 5, and 7 day cleanse option. I ended up opting for the 5 day cleanse but bought shakes for 7 so I could taper off.
They can be bought through Amazon Prime (let’s be real, the deal was sealed when I found this out)

How it went:

Fantastic! My goal was 5 days but I ended up doing a 4 day cleanse and tapered day 5 and 6. I was never once hungry (except the time I left my last juice of the day at home and ended up working till almost midnight…so my fault!), ended up with a bunch more energy, lost 5.8lbs and several inches around my lower abdomen, and overall just felt much much better. I feel like it gave my gut the kick start it needed after all the junk I had been eating ((and no, I did not spend all 5 days in the bathroom 😉 )). Also, another added perk, it MADE me drink water. I hate water but with this cleanse since I wasn’t eating a bunch of snacks, I filled that snack void with water. Finally, the best part, it actually tasted good! I really really liked 4 of the 6 and the other two were still good, just not my favorites.

Overall Impression: A+!! I will definitely be doing it again in the future and would highly recommend this cleanse to anyone, but especially to someone taking on their first cleanse.

Couch to 13.1, 30day Challenge

energy boost As I mentioned before, I want to get my “runner girl“ identity back so what better to do then a crazy challenge?! I am going to do a “couch-ish to 13.1, 30 day challenge.” I don’t think the race will be pretty and nor will it be super, spectacularly fast but this will at least kick start me back into the mileage that I enjoy! I am going to make this race a goal just to have fun and find my love for running again. See below if you want to follow along!

Screen Shot 2018-05-09 at 4.07.38 PM

I will be following this plan from May 12 – June 10th with the goal of completing the Hotlanta Half. Happy Training Y’all!!

disclaimer! This training plan is not for everyone and is not the safest way to train for a half marathon. If this is your first or you’re just getting into running a build up this fast is not recommended.

Once a Runner…{maybe} Always a Runner

Since high school I have always been able to call myself a runner but then that nursing school thing came along and remember how I mentioned I am the most unhealthy I have ever been in yesterday’s post, well now running is a struggle! Before now (read last 6months) I have trained for marathons and ironman triathlons. I even managed to push through a few races at the beginning of nursing school but in reality, they were weak races and I struggled through them. Nursing school takes a lot out of me! It’s an excuse but also the truth! Training runs get cut short and are sometimes cut out all together and sleep and nutrition are at an all time low. I’m not going to lie, I HATE IT!! I like being a runner.

So what to do about it… Pout, whine, cry?! Well, that’s what I want to do but since that’s getting me nowhere, I have had to start at ground zero! Seriously 1 and 2 mile runs make up the majority of my miles these days. They are slow and almost always include a walk somewhere in the middle. This is brutal! Coming from the girl where a 10mile run was a quick jaunt in the park to this is right up there with heart breaking.

It makes me want to stomp my feet and melt into a puddle. Running has always been an identity of mine and now I feel like I am failing that part of who I am.

So for real… what to do about it?! I want my runner girl identity back! My lost stride needs to return!

My initial thought is to sign up for a half marathon this summer while I am out of school and make that my focus. I will still be busy with work but not nearly as busy as I am when I am working and going school. My thought is this will help me create that healthy routine again and if I can create that routine, I will be better able to carry it through my last semester of school. Maybe even set a goal for another half marathon late in the semester so I HAVE to keep it going?

Please comment with advice below if you have experience with STARTING ALL OVER! Help a former and one day future runner girl (again) out!!

Nursing School in a Nutshell

Imagine yourself on fire, juggling chainsaws, running from a T-Rex, and pulling a sled of giant, squealing cats all at once on about 3hrs of sleep and an energy drink in hand…that is about how I would describe nursing school.

Needless to say, it has been one of the most stressful times of my life and has lead me to a point of being the least healthy version of myself…which I find quite comical as we are always being taught about “how to be healthy” and “how to advocate for our patient’s health.”

All this chaos and stress stems from the very first day you step on campus when you get the initial lecture, that is then constantly reiterated by all instructors to follow, that says “You’re holding someone’s life in your hands with every decision you make” and that “Everything you will learn over these 2-3years will be important for your career as a nurse.” For me, this has stuck and has added a whole extra layer to the stress. This time I am not going to school just to get a job, I am going to school to have a career making peoples lives better and if not better, at least more comfortable. That’s a pretty big concept to wrap your mind around if you ask me.

To bring that back to nursing school, that statement means each and every time you go to class it requires all of your focus and attention so that you can learn to be the best nurse possible. You will stay up all night studying for the exams where 4 of the 5 answers are correct and doing patient research into the wee hours of the morning so the next morning you can spit off a list of meds and what they are used for and your plan of care with all the interventions you could possibly find just so that you will be allowed on the unit to try and be the best advocate for that patient’s health that day.

All of these things take up much of your time, so try to add a job or a family or even just a coffee date with a friend in there and quick bites to eat and energy drinks are sure to come your way. Anything that will allow you to keep pushing though to the finish line. So forget about your hours of fancy meal prep each week and the time spent exercising, those will come back when you finish (or when you finally catch your stride in the program) and set your focus on the finish line. A line that truthfully is a bit imaginary as when you graduate you still have not earned the title of “Nurse.” So don’t let up on the studying because your tassel had turned, your boards exam is yet to come. It is not until the word PASS comes across your screen and your name is on the state registry do you get to place those two sacred letters, RN, behind your name. That is when you are officially a “Nurse!”

The stress is unreal but the outcome will be surreal! So, happy studying my fellow nursing students, we will make eventually!

11months later…

So its been almost exactly 11months since I last posted and I cant lie, I have missed writing A LOT! Life has been insane through these past 11months [hints the lack of posts] and I’ll be totally honest, although I have completed an Ironman 70.3, a full Ironman, and a handful of road races scattered in during that time, I have totally fallen off the “healthy” wagon. But before I get too far ahead of myself let me back up and catch you up on life….

April 2016… I got settled into my new home. The rooms were set up, pictures hung on the wall, life got in order. Things were good. The job for center director at Jenny Craig was coming available and I was the top candidate for the job.

May… Baby Brother (aka Alex) graduated from Appalachian State University. The entire family made a mountain weekend out of it. Also, I finished the crazy interview process with Jenny Craig and got the job as Center Director!

June… I started in my new role at Jenny Craig. Something I had worked hard for and unfortunately had fallen short of in the past when it had come available. The new role was hectic and crazy and I even had to hire someone in my first few weeks on the job to fill my old role. It was a big learning curve. I completed Raleigh 70.3 AND this month I met an amazing man on Tinder and we quickly hit things off (spoiler alert, he’s still putting with me !!).

July… Things are on the up! I got late acceptance into nursing school at my first choice school. I had applied back in November when I came up short on securing the center director role previously. I had been patiently waiting with fingers crossed for acceptance into the schools I had applied to yet time and time again I had been waitlisted so just as I had almost given up hope, I received the call that I was going to be attending Carolinas College of Health Sciences. Seeing as nursing had been something I had wanted to do for a while I was now more eager than ever to get that next degree…and just in time before many of my classes from my previous degree expired.

On a sad note, my furry brother, King Chase, whose health had been failing for a while passed away this month. This brought many tears to our family but to have him go to doggy heaven while we all held him to his very last breath was the best way it could have possibly happened. Truthfully, for as “dumb” as we all thought he was at times he may have been the smartest in the family… after all he waited till all four of us were home to make his final send off.

August/September… Nursing school got real! Everyone warns you it’s tough but dang, it is like 947,923,872,039,237 times harder than I had ever imagined. I was spending what seemed like every evening in the library or in some classroom and plenty of early mornings up and at the books too. Caffeine became a must, eating on the go happened way too often, and I felt like I was just barely making it by taking my three classes and still working as Jenny Craig’s center director (40hrs a week). Dave (Tinder Man) was a saint, even this early on in our relationship he was able to calm me down and bring my spiraling out of orbit head back to my shoulders where it belonged. Through this crazy schedule, we still made time for trips back and forth to see each other and saw some pretty views from the tops of the mountains we hiked. Oh I forgot to mention, curve ball, Dave lives in Atlanta! A 4hr drive from me!! Thank goodness for text messages and FaceTime. Also during this time I had a roommate with a furry friend move in with me in my new home.

October… Ironman North Carolina. To say I was ready and trained for this race would be one of the biggest lies I could tell. Yes I had put in a lot of miles but I was’t anywhere close to being ready for a race of this magnitude. 140.6miles is no joke and my training had been sporadic and inconsistent at best. With many miles coming from trainer rides while watching lectures I wasn’t near where I needed to be. So although I was bummed the hurricane flooded part of the course cutting 56miles out of the race it was probably for the best for me. All that is to say, I was still exhausted with the race I completed and happy to be announced as an Ironman once again. Following this race, a job change came about. Through the crazy of August and September, I squeezed in a job interview at one of the local hospitals for a night shift CNA role. Boy I had no idea what was about to come my way. Things started slow but quickly progressed at the hospital… Also this month Dave and I made a quick weekend trip to NY to visit some of his friends and family and a trip to Asheville to hike with another couple he has known for many years.

November… I am in full swing of school and working night shift as a CNA. If I thought caffeine was a must before I was crazy because now I felt new kinds of exhaustion that I had never felt before. Going straight to class following 12hr shift was both physically and mentally draining. I seriously had to schedule in sleep amongst my studies and work. Forget about exercise and eating right…I guess you could say I went into survival mode. Fast food, energy drinks, and car naps became a regular thing. My body hated me but this was just how it was going to be. And, to top it off, things started to become rocky with the roommate making home a less than peaceful place to be. Thank goodness for thanksgiving break to give me a little breather, a chance to run a local 10k, and to make the trip to see Dave and his family down in Atlanta.

December… Final exams followed by a much needed break! Dave and I got to visit each other a fair amount and I did a lot of sleeping when I was off from work. I was finally starting to feel like myself again. And added bonus, all grades came back and I had officially passed my first full semester of nursing school. This month I also had the reality that hospitals never close and someone has to be there around the clock to take care of the patients. I was assigned to work Christmas night. I think this was harder on mom than it was me but nonetheless, it was eye opening into the career I am embarking on. The year rounded out with a fun trip to Atlanta to ring in the New Year.

January 2017… January 1 Dave and I celebrated 6months of being together and I enjoyed my last couple weeks of break before the crazy school work combo hit hard again. We made a weekend trip to Helen, GA where we played in the snow and enjoyed the quiet town just before my classes started. By this point to say my roommate situation was rocky would be an understatement. Things became downright hostile. I hated going home and rarely could get any sleep when I was there. Thankfully she moved out this month and my life has since gone back to being much more peaceful.

February… More of the same, Dave keeps me grounded and we made several weekend trips to see one another, school is insane, and working nights, although I am starting to figure it out is still kicking my booty! Healthy eating and living has gone out the window just as it had the previous semester and training for my upcoming marathon was a distant thought. I was struggling to keep afloat.

March…Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay afloat enough in my first intermediate nursing class. I fell below the bar and will have to retake the course in a later semester. Thankfully spring break followed my disaster course and allowed me a full week to clear my head. During this time I traveled to Atlanta for a long weekend and even took 2 full days to myself {can you say Netflix binge?!}. I am now finishing out this semester with just two classes, anatomy and physiology two and psychology. I will pick back up with my nursing classes this summer. Aside from school, Dave and I ran the Georgia Marathon this past weekend. Not my fastest time but without a doubt my most enjoyable one. Crossing the finish line hand in hand will be a lasting memory for me.

And now we are up to date! I look forward to writing more in the coming weeks! 🙂

Welcome Back

Hello Y’all! I feel like I am starting this whole blog over again after being away for so long. Things have been crazy on my end. I seem to always be on the go with one thing or another …. And for a while there I even worked 42 days in a row! Crazy right?! Well, now that things have gotten to the point of a more manageable schedule, I am back and ready to fill you in, cause trust me, I’ve got some big news! But first let me catch you up on the basics…training, work, and the love life 🙂

Training —

Post Ironman training is rough! …well really I should say, getting back into it is rough. After taking some time off to recover, I have more than struggled to get back into it the way I need to for my next race. A few aches and pains, illness, lack of sleep, and tons of work and what do you have?! …a big struggle-bus on the training front. Thankfully, in the last couple weeks training has started to become more consistent and nearly ache free! Hopefully this trend can continue in the coming weeks as I gear up for my big races in June and October, Raleigh 70.3 and Ironman NC.

Work —

Jenny Craig is good, nothing too exciting to speak of on that front. I am now up to working 5 days a week there and still hating the weekend portion of it. Thankful for the extra hours though. The Y is much slower these days. I only have two clients at the moment which is plenty. I love training people but training myself is much better with the extra free time. However, in addition to personal training, I am coaching the triathlon team again this season. We have a great group of athletes from all levels and it is fun to watch them grow into new and seasoned triathletes. This is one “job” that I always look forward to!

And for the start of big news….!!! I picked up another job….hints why time has been tight with my training schedule. Since January, I have been working as a certified nurses aide at one of the local assisted living facilities. Y’all, whoever said old people were cute and sweet, well they are big, fat liars! haha JK JK… well sort of kidding…. I really do have some residents who are the sweetest people you’d ever meet but I have others who, OMG it is like they are possessed! Seriously some of the craziest, most stubborn people I have ever met! But hey when I’m pushing 90, I am already giving myself permission to say and do whatever it is I want… sorry one day maybe future children! 😀

Really though, the assisted living home is teaching me a ton. I love working with my patients, they make me feel like I am important and valuable every single time I walk into the building. And hey, I also get to come home with some great stories every time I work. Sometimes these stories consist of me getting peed on and other times they are giving me kisses and tell me how much they love me. You just never know what you’ll get which is one of the many reasons why I like it so much…. even if it is absolutely exhausting!

Love Life —

haha it doesn’t exist! I bet this is where y’all thought you were going to get some big news, didn’t ya?! Jokes on you 😉 Anyways, I am happily single at the moment. I have been on a few dates but nothing really to talk about these days.

So onto the BIG news!!! You ready for this?! —

….I AM A HOMEOWNER!!! As of March 30th, I have purchased my very first home! It is still a bit surreal but I couldn’t be happier. So if you were wondering what I was doing amongst work and my non-existent love life that was keeping me from training on a regular basis?…I was house hunting! Or should I say, condo / townhouse hunting? I looked at sooo many I lost count but I ended up finding the perfect little condo for me here in Charlotte. I love it! I have been moved in for almost two weeks and to say that I couldn’t have done it without my family would be stretch {{this should really be read as OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MOM AND DAD}}. Although it was my purchase, mom and dad have been so helpful along the way, from one, being my realtors, to two being my movers, and to three, my unpackers and furniture builders. I didn’t take much time off from work and I really just can’t say enough about how much they have helped me out with just their time and energy alone!

So yes, my big news is that I am a homeowner! I won’t share any details now but be on the lookout for a future post all about my experience and what I have learned from going through the mortgage process to signing my life away to getting settled in my new place.

I can’t wait to keep you all in the loop as I make this condo my home and training takes a leap into a new gear in the coming weeks!

Have a great day!

**disclaimer! This training plan is not for everyone and is not the safest way to train for a half marathon. If this is your first or you’re just getting into running a build up this fast is not recommended.**

disclaimer! This training plan is not for everyone and is not the safest way to train for a half marathon. If this is your first or you’re just getting into running a build up this fast is not recommended.