Friday, January 20, 2012

Dreaming about goals and passions...

I woke up the other morning and instantly remembered what I had been so fervently dreaming about all night!! TRIATHLONS!

I remembered feeling the warmth of the water in the swim, the wind on my face during the bike, the pounding in my ears during the run.

I remembered that my triathlon friends were in my dream too, just like they always are in reality.... same with my family. They were there too, screaming their guts out as always.

It made me long for these days....


I am training my ass off right now preparing for my first sprint triathlon this year -- MAY 12TH.

I am taking a spinning class with the reputation for being the hardest spin class in the Salt Lake Valley and I am hoping it prepares me for those three-mile hills that are looming in the bike course in May.

I have upped my swim workouts to 500 meters before I teach water-aerobics for an hour every Monday. I feel like that should give me a good base to kill a 400 meter swim!

I am working on my running and have set HUGE goals to cut down my run time.... this is where I really need to get to work.

It was fun to dream, to realize that I am excited for it and looking forward to it. It's nice to know it is in the forefront of my mind and that my goals and desires are all lining up.

Because, let me tell ya -- that smile you see below? It's one awesome feeling!

Monday, January 16, 2012

You can't make this #$%& up!

Last week I had a First Date.

It went something like this.....

We meet up at a little bar downtown, we sit and talk and drink for a couple hours. Things are going well. We are having fun.

All the sudden this girl shows up at the back of my bar stool. She says hi while she slurs and sways back and forth. I say hello. She introduces herself and I introduce myself. I introduce the guy I'm with.... She looks at him, looks at me, looks at him, looks at me, then looks at him and cries, "SHE'S STRAIGHT!!!" She proceeds to tell me that I'm beautiful and that she has been watching me all night (apparently I was facing her and she was somewhere in the expanses of the bar behind my date). She thought we, "had something." I told her that I was straight, but she seemed like a nice girl (while trying to hold down my giggles). My date tried to feed me to the bears (so to speak), but I kicked him nicely in the shins and turned her down once again. She invited me out for a smoke, I gently told her I don't smoke. She stuck her lower lip out and went outside....

About five minutes pass and she's back! She tries again, tells me she missed me. Tell's my date that he's one hell of a lucky guy (I agreed with that part...) LOL. I'm not quite sure how it happened but all the sudden her hand is cupping my breast and her other hand is cupping my date's. I looked at my date and said, "How do you feel about the fact that we are both getting groped on our first date and we aren't even touching each other?!?!" She proceeds to tell us that I have him beat in the size department, but he has better nipples! (note: she wasn't even close to my nipple, but I wasn't going to point that out...). She asked again if I wanted to join her for a drink, I politely declined, again.... She then points out that she has never been shot down six times in one night before -- apparently I was the first to turn her down repeatedly. Sorry to disappoint sweetheart!! She told us not to laugh too hard when she walked away, and then with about 70 bazillion hugs goodbye she left.

Well, we laughed, and stayed and  talked a bit more, then after last call we decided to call it a night.

We walked outside and were talking on the sidewalk (there may or may not have been slight canoodling).

We were approached by a very tall, dark haired man who asked if he could ask us a "rather random question". We both giggled and almost simultaneously said, "It's been a night for that sort of thing! Whatcha got?"

He then said something along the lines of, "I'm visiting and don't know the area. Do you know where I could smoke a bowl??"

Holy crap, really?? I threw my hands in the air and said, "I have nooo clue! Dustin?" My date then agrees that he doesn't know either... he's fairly new to the area as well....

Well, this tall stranger wasn't done there. He then asks if we are married, I say "no". He asks if we are almost married, my date says, "no." I then mention... "It's our first date." He raises an eyebrow and says, "Well.... I'm a facilitator of love...." and opens his wallet and hands my date a card. I thought it was a business card, until he follows up with, "I'm staying at the Radisson down the street and won't be headed back there tonight. Why don't you two take advantage of the opportunity and go, um... take care of things."

I bust up laughing, is this guy for real? My date says, "Do we look like we need a room?" I realize an important fact and ask, "Isn't your stuff in there?" He says, "Oh, yeah.... well, just don't touch anything, OK?" at which point he leans over to my date and loudly whispers, "Except, there is a Viagra on the counter, you can have it if you want, Dude."

Well, luckily some guy behind us starts yelling, a small melee breaks out and we leave the room key on the fire hydrant and escape....

We make it across the street to my car, talk some more, say our good byes (no details here, sorry. lol)

I leave for home while looking at the clock and realizing how early work is going to come in the morning. Before I know it there are red and blue lights behind me and I get pulled over for speeding.

I text my date saying, "You know that lead foot I told you about? Yeah, I'm pulled over."

I text my parents (and my other safety-net friend) saying, "Sorry, my phone died. I'm good, headed home... except I'm pulled over."

I get a text back from my date saying, "Just act cool. You ok? I'm sitting in my car trying to sober up a bit."

I get a text back from my parents saying, "Are you ok? For speeding? Have you been drinking? Is he giving you a ticket? OMG, are you ok?"

I get about a million more from my parents making sure I'm not getting arrested for a DUI.



I get a text back from my safety-net friend saying, "For speeding... I hope. Are you ok?"

I text them all back, "Totally ok, yes for speeding. I'm COMPLETELY sober, only had half a beer in four hours."

I text my date back, "Need me to come get you?"

I get a ticket, the ass-hole officer says, "I hope you had a good date. Here's your ticket. Have a better night."

Thanks.

I get back on the road, I'm three minutes from home and get a text message from my date, "A ride would be awesome."

I flip a U-turn and head back down to the bar. Pick him up and once again head for home. (we ironically live in the same neighborhood).

I drop him off, again say our goodbye's (again, no details... perv. LOL).

I finally make it home at 2:45 am. I collect my dog and crawl in my freezing cold bed. I set my alarm for 3 hours later and fall asleep.

5:45am -- alarm goes off. Even my puppy Porter let out an audible groan. Yes, Buddy. This morning came early... I know..........

---------------------------

Update: Fun date, nice guy... not relationship material. Sorry to disappoint.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Working with friends means you get paid of have fun...

I have great friends, and I have two great jobs. Lucky for me most of my amazing friends work with me... which makes things LOTS of fun.

This weekend highlighted this perfectly. We started out with a suprise party for on Friday night. It got crazy and dirty quick. The fire burned hot and fast, by 10:30pm we were done... but that wasn't before there was already lots of embarrassing pictures, chants, great stories told, great food eaten and lots of beverages consumed. I realized that night that I have great people who surround me every day and I am incredibly lucky to be able to call them friends. I was talking with the wife of a co-worker and telling her how unique our situation at LifeFlight is, how close we get through working shifts together and how much fun it can really be. I realized it's a unique thing. I also realized how much damn fun we can have when all of us get together on a Friday night.... whew whee!!

Then the next day I got up dark and early to go to Pocatello with my track team from the college. We all crammed in my little car as we waited for the van and then had a surprisingly enjoyable ride up there. The athletes are fun and the coach I would categorize in my awesome friend category. I realized again how truly lucky I am to be able to go to "work" and feel like I'm playing with friends all day. We encouraged and supported each other all day, then stopped for a yummy Cafe Rio dinner, stopped again before leaving Idaho to play some scratch-lotto tickets, the guys won a little and re-tried their luck... and lost. We stopped AGAIN for gas. We giggled and sang all the way home, and screamed with joy when the 49ers won the game with seconds left.

Overall....We laugh, we joke, we discuss, we play, we dream, we sometimes cry. We plan parties and vacations, we give and ask for opinions. We counsel and laugh. We share and we love.

It's an incredible thing and something that I have realized how truly blessed I am because of it. Not many people are this lucky... but I'm grateful I am!