I have a few things to talk about.

My employer finally hired a person to take my job so that I can move into my new job full time, so that is nice because I will not be doing 2 jobs for the price of 1 anymore. My sister will be married next week, so that will take some more stuff off my plate. I do not have another race until July 17, so I have slightly more than a month to prepare for this one… Im going to take it slow J And hopefully our lawn will not need mowed every 4 days anymore.

I am just going to entertain you today with a couple little funny stories:

My cousin Sally*purchased some plants to have a garden this summer. She went to the local greenhouse and picked up several different plants and 1 tomato plant. If you don’t know this, in Western Pennsylvania, the tomato plants have been diseased and then you put all this time into a garden and the tommies are rotten. Many people in our area have purchased Topsy Turvey Tomato Planters – my father also purchased a Topsy Turvey Pepper Planter – and they seem to be growing nicely. Anywho, I digress… So, Sally purchased 1 tomato and told her husband Ramón* (who is a farmer may I add) that the man at the greenhouse told her to cut the plant off at the stem (like horizontal away from the root) and plant the top half of the tomato and throw away the rest (like the dirt and the root). Ramón asked Sally a couple times if she was sure because he had never heard of throwing away the root. OK, well in the end Ramón only wanted to please Sally, so he whacked the top of the plant off and stuck it in the ground.

Sally coated the plant in fertilizer (to help the stick grow) and watered it really well. Then they went in the house and went to bed. In the morning, Sally went out to look at her garden and low and behold that tomato plant was shriveled up and dead. Sally scooped that plant up and took it back to the greenhouse and said to the man “I did what you told me to and look at my plant, Its dead.” The greenhouse man replied to Sally “I told you to dig a hole deep enough [to get to where you cut off the plant] and plant the whole thing.”

Good times were had by all at the greenhouse I am sure  :)

I am not sure how many of you know this but my Grandfather whom I call “Pap” has lung cancer. He has a few spots on his lunglets and I am sure he will be ok. He is in good health otherwise and I think they will get all the cancer when they operate later this month. So here is a funny about that.

My friend Kara* was emailing another friend of mine Krissy* to tell her about my grandfathers condition. I believe the email from Kara went something like this

“Toni’s pap has cancer that needs operated on and he is going to the Cleveland Clinic to get a second opinion on the operation”

Among other things, but that is the just of it. So Krissy emails back to Kara

“Are they sure its cancer, maybe it is HPV or that precancer in the cervix”

Kara got the email and was very confused. Wrote back to Krissy

“I do not think that her Grandfather is worried about cervical cancer”

Krissy wrote back the following

“I thought Toni’s pap like the smear kind, not her Grandfather”

So…. While Kara was telling me this, I almost peed my pants… And I would like everyone to Pray for My Pap today… (my Grandfather, not the smear)… Oh good times!!!

* The names have been changed to protect the innocent

I am happy to entertain you… Check back soon for regular posts

On Saturday, May 8, 2010, on my 28^th birthdizzle, I, Toni Conrad, ran a 5k race. That equates to 3.1 miles in American measurement. Not only did I achieve my goal, I blew it away!!!

My plan was to run this race in 40 minutes or less. I knew that was attainable as I have ran 2 practice 5ks at my house and both came in under 40 minutes. I was really nervous though.

So, Saturday morning I woke up and my husband drove me to Kittanning to the hospital to run this race. We were only an hour early, so I had some time to reflect on what I was about to do. I had a granola and looked at the map. I looked at my nice shirt I got for participating and stretched out my leglets.

At 9am, the race began. I planned to run about a 13 minute mile and at the end of 9 minutes, my first mile was done!!! It seems that I was going downhill the entire time. I knew, sometime a hill was going to come along. At the end of the first lap, a steep hill was there for me to climb, I just said “TONI, DO IT!!!” and ran up the hill.

The first lap was slightly more than 1.5 miles. The second lap started out with a small walklet and I had to regain my breath from sprinting up a hill. Once I was good (I allowed myself 3 minutes) I took off running again (actually jogging). Soon I hit the 2.1 mile marker and I told myself “3 more songs” and I kept saying “run 3 more songs” at the end of the 1^st of 3 songs, I took a small 2 minute walking break to catch my breath before having to run up that hill again… and I kept saying “2 more songs” and “you can do it, 2 songs is nothing” and soon I was at the top of the hill. The last song was just a sniplet and I crossed the finish line!

It was not as hard as I had anticipated it would be, but it was difficult enough to make me walk. I think the walking was all mental, but my average pace was 11.25 minute miles. That is pretty good!

I finished the race in 34 minutes and 53 seconds and though I did not get a medal for placing in my age group, I was so proud of myself for accomplishing my goal.

Next race is May 31 in Blairsville. Traci is running with me and hopefully I cannot walk at all. My goal time is 33 minutes! Do you think I can do it? I am pretty confident I can.

Thanks for all the kind words and congradulatory messages for finishing!!!

I will talk more about my first real race later, but I just wanted to let the world know what I did!

Today is also my 28th birthday, so my husband is taking me out to a special dinner! YAY!

On New Years Eve, 2006-2007, I wrote my goals down and plastered them on the Refrigerator. Well, we all knew what happened in 2007. I had an ovary operation, changed employers, had a kidneystone and kidneystone operation and got pregnant… WHAT A YEAR! Needless to say, most of my goals were tossed aside.

Finally in 2010, I am getting my life back in order and tackling some of these goals.

1. To be nicer to people I don’t like.
2. Run a 5k
3. Weigh a lower weight
4. Find a new job that I like
5. Eat healthier

So, what with all my operations and pregnancy, I never got to run that 5k and I didn’t lose weight. I did however be nicer to people I didn’t like as well as finding a new job. The eating healthy thing is a constant struggle.

You may know that Saturday on my 28^th birthday, I am running a 5k! That will finally cross this goal off my list of things to do! I am so superexcited that I know I am going to pee myself when I finish. Its cool though, runners pee.

Also, I got a new job – like I have already said – and I cannot wait to start it!

I still try to eat healthy… It is a daily thing.

The weight is always trying to come off, but I don’t think I know how to lose weight, just how to gain it J But I am definitely working on that.

And finally, I think I really, really try to be nicer to people I do not like. After everything I went through a couple years ago, I have really tried to make this happen. I know I am not perfect and some people just rub me the wrong way… I am sure I rub people the wrong way as well… but I have very much improved in this area.

So, only 3 ½ years after setting these goals, it looks like I only have 1 more to achieve… oh dear weight, just fall off my bones (hahaha)

I do not really say anything bad on here for a couple reasons…

1. I really don’t have a lot of ill feelings toward anyone
2.  If I do have ill feelings, I do not know who all reads this, and I don’t really want to offend anyone
3.  My life has changed dramatically in the past couple years and I do not really have time for stupid crap, so if I have a problem with someone, they know and that’s that.

So, with all that being said, I must address something and get it off my chest in the nicest way possible.

I have worked very hard to get where I am today. I admit that I have been very lucky in a lot of things of life, but if you read this bloglet at all, you know that my life has not been all roses and butterflies. I have constant reminders of what was taken away from me and though I talk about Kendall all the time without crying, does not mean that I am over that point in my life. I still miss my baby every day and if I do not talk to you about your child… So, sorry – I’d hate to offend you – actually, I don’t really care if I offend you because I cannot worry about other people’s feelings in dealing with my life.

Next, my husband is my life. We have a great relationship and I am very happy with him. If you are thinking otherwise, you are sadly mistaken. You can also spread the word. I am allowed to have friends and stuff.

Lastly, if you have a problem with any success I have worked to get… you are a turd. I have worked really hard and if I tell someone my plans and then they happen, maybe you should tell someone what you want to do.

If you are guilty, this post is about you and I know who you are… so, come to me and talk about your problem rather than gossip and spread false rumors.

Thanks!

After 5 years of working toward a goal, I have acheived it!!! I am the newest Commercial Lender at my current bank!!! I am so excited I could pee my pants… well, maybe… OK, yeah, I could pee my pants!

The thing is, they need to replace me, which I know is sort of impossible, I am irreplaceable. So, someone, please apply and replace me so I can start my new job!

I guess I am on my 3rd career of life. Dont they say something like “An average American will have 7 careers in their lifetime”? Well, I worked at the fabulous American Eagle Outfitters for 4 years (so that counts as a career to me), then I was a Credit Analyst for nearly 7 years (career) and now I am a Commercial Lender!!! BINGO – 3rd Career!

I am Very Very Very excited, but very busy with the transition.

Saturdizzle is my 28th Birthday and I am so excited to be running in a 5k! That is another goal that I have.

In 2006, I made a list of resolutions. It is still on our refridgerator, because, sadly, I never acheived any of them. I will talk about that list tomorrow…

Yes, that is right, I am going to post 2 days in a row!!! I know you are excited enought to pee your panties too!

Good times!!!

For unknown reasons, a toilet in my house has been acting “weird”. I will tell you what it was doing. I would flush, and the water would not swirl down, but instead just fill up… almost to the point of overflow… and then just kind of drain out. In my mind I said “what is happening here” and tried again. I will also tell you that there was no “dirt” in the toilet. I will also tell you we have pretty old toilets in our home.

After a couple flushes acting up, we got the plunger and tried to shoot whatever was stuck down the toilet. The plunger didn’t really work and so I turned to the great big “world wide web” for some answers.

I stumbled across a wonderful page with a great movie of how to unclog a clogged toilet. I read all it had to say and watched the funny 4 minute movie and then looked at a couple more sites.  I kept reading the same thing: DISH SOAP!

The site instructed me to squirt my dish soap into the bowl and let it sit for about 2 hours. The soap is to make the “clog” slippery and whatever is there will just shoot out with the next step. Ok, I got my purple Dawn dishwashing liquid and squirt, squirt and one more squirt into the bowl. Then I left.

The next step was to get a pot of “Hotter than you drink your tea but not boiling water” and stand over the toilet and pour the water in. The weight of the hot water and the heat of the water will push the “slippery clog” out. So, we filled up our cooking pot, placed it on the stove and when it was almost boiling took it away from the heat. We dumped it into the toilet and we had a lot of bubbles, but all the water drained out.

After that we flushed the toilet 2 times and VOILA!!! It was fixed!!!

Who ever knew that dish soap and hot water could fix your toilet? There was a warning however. If you live in an apartment complex… DO NOT PUT DISH SOAP IN YOUR TOILET.

You can just call me Mrs. Rooter. Hahahahah – JOKE!

When I went away last night, I went to Traci’s NEW APARTMENT!!! It is really nice and I believe her and AJ will be very happy there (for a while). The rooms are large, the appliances are nice and it is really clean. She made a wise choice going where she did. Maybe tomorrow I will run over there (and then she can drive me home J ).

I signed up for the Walk For Life benefiting Life Choices that will be held on Sunday, May 2, 2010 in K-Town. If anyone would like to sponsor me, let me know and all the money will go to the “Baby Boutique”. Ill talk more on that another time, but basically it is like a free store for the young moms to go and get things they need when they are pregnant… They are given Baby Bucks for each prenatal appointment and parenting class they attend. Then they can get bottles, clothes, sometimes cribs, or car seats… you know, the usual you need for a bambino.

I think it is a great cause and I am excited to be volunteering my time.

This weekend is my lady luncheon, next weekend is Traci’s wedding shower and the following weekend is my Birthdizzle as well as my 5k!!!

(i am sure you are totally jealous of my sweat band!)

Speaking of my 5k, I did a practice on over the weekend in my ‘hood. It was awesome and I didn’t even feel tired. I was so proud of myself! I did it in 38 minutes and 39 seconds!!! Can you believe that? I really can not believe that I did it!

I woke up and decided I was going to do it, and I did it! I ran all through my neighborhood, I didn’t have an easy course to run on (its all hills) and the weather was not optimal. So, before my run, I ate half a granola bar and had some water. When I got home I stretched and ate the other half of my granola and had some more water. It worked out very well. My goal was to finish in 40 minutes or less… and I accomplished it! I have no doubt that on my 28^th birthday I will be able to bust out a 40 minute or less 5k.

To some of you that may not seem like a big deal… but on my 27^th birthday, even though I did not show it, I was very sick. My heart was not functioning properly. I had an ejection fraction of 35% and I would have been hard pressed to run .1 mile apposed to 3.1 miles. My 26^th birthday was not as great either. I had just had my pacemaker put in and I was recovering from major open chest surgery. I was pregnant with a baby that may or may not make it and there was something wrong with my heart (yet to find out I was developing cardiomyopathy).

So, to run a 5k on the 28^th birthday is nothing short of a miracle. A lot of people who have cardiomyopathy do NOT recover. They just manage their symptoms and hope their heart does not get worse. I HAD to make myself better, and I am only better because of my own doing. I know you have all heard the story and know what I am speaking of… so I am not going to go into it; however, this is going to mean a lot to me to be able to run this race… and finish.

In other news, Traci and I went to see The Last Song… I think it was terrible. I pretty much could not stand it and I wasted $9 to see it at our junky movie theater. The book was so much better and had more detail and was just an all around better story. The movie was just missing…. Something. It was very dull and unexciting. The best part was the 2 teenagers sitting behind us. They were making out so much! It was sloppy and LOUD! I caught them in my peripherals and I could not stop laughing!!! It was pretty much the highlight of my evening. Good times.