have I got long way to run?

The answer to this amazing Collective Soul song is definitely yes. Because last weekend I officially registered for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Well, not the full marathon, but the half marathon. 13.1 miles. I've already began my training. Well, right now I'm training to train. It's been a while since I've ran. So I'm starting with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred ( I'm on Day 11) and I follow that up with 30 minutes of walking/jogging. So far so good... I type this as I sit with a heating pad on my back. I'm just focusing on trying to imagine the feeling of accomplishment I will feel when I cross that finish line.
I also get to experience this with 3 of my very best friends, Amber, Diana and Miranda. Which is good because right now I'm highly motivated but I need them to kick me in the butt should this motivated streak start to wane.

I've also posted 2 new painting to my Etsy account since I wrote last. I worked on another painting of a sugar skull for about 5 hours today. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed, which I don't often say when I finish a painting. Maybe it's because this was a little more challenging for me. Skulls aren't typically my forte'. Neither is symmetry. But I think I did a pretty damn good job. I'll be posting my sugar skull on Etsy tomorrow. Here's my unfinished sugar skull step by step as I painted today....

 Now it's off to watch OU vs OSU and make something for dinner.

i did it.

After months of researching, reading, painting and snapping pictures I have finally taken the plunge and opened my etsy store! wow. accomplishment is such a spectacular feeling.
I decided to post my favorite painting first... my fishes in their fish bowl. This one gives me that same feeling I get when I listen to Wish You Were Here. I heard it on my lunch break while I was driving last week and my heart literally felt like it swelled up with joy and smiled. If hearts were able to smile, mine would do so every single time it heard the first few chords of that amazing song.
So there. I did it. It's done. Hopefully someone likes it and wants to get that same feeling every time they walk by it hanging on their wall. If not, that's ok, too. Because I'm kind of attached to it.

thank you

As Turkey Day quickly approaches, I am reminded that despite the number of times daily I think fml, I have so much to be thankful for.
Since i last wrote in August a lot has changed. I started my new job with high hopes on August 2nd. I was greeted outside the door of the county building by a group of people who looked and smelled as if they had not showered in weeks. On my second day of work, about half of my new co-workers exclaimed 'You came back!' when I walked in the door. If only I knew then what I know now.
However, I will not complain about my current employer. I will instead embrace the spirit of this holiday month, and express my gratitude for 1. having a job and 2. hating this job down to the very depth of my soul with such passion that I've enrolled in the spring 2011 semester at the community college closest to my house.
Thank you, present employer, for reminding me how much I hate office politics, drama, gossip and favoritism. Thank you for reminding me how important it is to work hard to make up for those who don't feel it's necessary. Thank you for giving me a reason to get monthly massages to get out all the knots and tightness caused by non-economical chairs.
So January 18th I will attend my first class in over 10 years. I'm thankful for financial aid, the helpful advisers who helped me choose my major and informed me that college math was not necessary. I'm thankful for the support from friends and family. I'm thankful for the desire to learn.
As I sit on the couch watching Letting Go of God on Showtime, i'm thankful for my knee-high argyle socks. I'm thankful for the warm coffee with chocolate mint truffle creamer and sprinkled with cinnamon inside my Philadelphia mug. I'm thankful I went to Michaels and bought a new sketchbook yesterday after my massage.
I'm thankful for the brightly colored leaves in my front yard, raked into nice neat little piles. I'm thankful for the stack of magazines next to me that I love reading. I'm thankful for the mini long distance book club I am in with my bff, Katie, who lives in the ATL. I'm thankful that my dear friend Jesse popped the question to my dear friend Jill, which gave us reason to throw her a bachelorette party last weekend. Which makes me thankful that my dear friend Angela moved to Denver (even though I miss her not living a few miles away from me) so that we could have the party there, because not only were she and her bf very very accommodating and hospitable, it also gave me the opportunity to see the Rocky Mountains for the first time.
I'm thankful for the 40% off coupon that was given to me with my receipt at Michaels yesterday. Now I can go back and buy another canvas to take my mind off the fact that I have to wake up early and drag myself to work tomorrow morning.