Reclaiming Your Innocence

I'd like to think that I'm more spontaneous than I am. I'd like to think that I love more with my heart and think less with my head. I'd like to think that I'm way less cynical than I actually am.

But truth be told, that's just not me. I'm a realist, a cynic, and somewhere along the line, I became somewhat jaded.

This isn't a recent discovery by any means, it's just something that has been blatently obvious in recent months.

I have friends who dive whole heartedly into new relationships. Who take chance after chance. Who repeatedly get their heart broken over and over...but they continue to put themselves out there. They don't mind doing it because they know that in order to reap the reward, they have to be able to.

While I, on the other hand, take three weeks to decide if I want to switch cell phone providers.

The sermon this weekend was about "reclaiming innocence." George spoke about how there are two ways we can approach life:
The way of innocence
The way of cynicism

My mom says I've been cynical my whole life. Is it something you can just change? Can you truly reclaim your childlike innocence without being naive?

A Much Needed Getaway

Do you ever have those days or weeks where you just need to get out of town. The kind where it doesn't really matter where you go, or what you do, but you just have to leave. That's the way I've been feeling for weeks. So desperate to just get out of here. Work has been crazy. Then I get home and just feel clostrophobic.

My mom has been in Kentucky for a couple weeks, so I decided to go visit. It was just what I needed. A getaway with no real agenda.

I got into town Friday night and my mom had ordered us Chinese from one of my favorite places. We just sat around and ate and talked. And it was delicious.

Saturday morning I woke up and decided I would do my run before it started raining. As soon as I got about 10 minutes from the house, the heavens opened up and started pouring buckets of rain down on me. I had no choice but to continue to run. Either way, I was soaked. I didn't do the whole thing, I just kind of made a loop and headed back to the house. I walked in the back door and my mom was standing in the kitchen. I had water dripping off of me like I'd just gotten out of a swimming pool. She looked up from the sink with a funny look on her face. I looked at her and said, "You didn't even think to come get me when it started pouring?" She started cracking up. "Well, I didn't really think about it."

While I was in the shower, she decided to be nice and fix me a bagel. I took one bite of it and almost gagged. It was absolutely disgusting. I quickly glanced over at the counter. Wait, that container wasn't cream cheese. It was SOUR CREAM! Yes, my mother put sour cream on my bagel.

Saturday after the bagel fiasco, my mom told me she had a surprise for me. And let me just say, it was the best surprise EVER. I'd told her I wanted a pedicure and it had been since last August when I last had one. So she made me an appointment and that was big surprise. And it was seriously the best pedi I've ever had!

Great weekend. Great for the soul! It was definitely what I needed.

And to top it off, I got to have coffee with one of my favorite people on my way back into town.

C25K Update

I just wanted to provide a little update on the couch to 5k workouts.

First off, something must be working, because today, two people asked if I have lost weight. SCORE! I've decided that for the rest of my life, I will be wearing the black pants (that are no longer hugging my hips the same as they were a few weeks ago) and this purple short sleeved shirt. So, if you see me day after day...get used to it. Because if it makes me look skinny, I'm wearing it forever.

Also, If I lose 6 more pounds, my wii fit will stop telling me that I'm overweight! And that will be a day to celebrate. Probably with a plate of brownies. Or something equally delicious.

I haven't been eating any differently at all, but for the past 3 weeks, I have been doing the C25k plan...hardcore.

Here's today's workout (Day 1 of Wk 4):

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

I was telling a friend that I was probably running a 20 minute mile. When he laughed at me and told me that a normal person walks a 16 minute mile, I decided I was probably running a 15 minute mile. :) The point is...I'm doing it. And that's a feat in itself.

Pat on the back for me. I rock!

Tweet Tweet

Last July, I spent a week in the Dominican Republic with about 25 other people. During that time, I heard Twitter mentioned about a bazillion times. My pastor LOOOOOVES Twitter. He talked about it so much that when I got back, I signed up for my own account. At first, I didn’t understand what was so great about it. I mean, it’s really just another status update. Why would people care to know “What are you doing?” It seems a bit narcissistic…but hey, isn’t blogging? :)

I didn’t start using it consistently at first. I found out that I could link my Twitter updates to my Facebook status which seemed like a much better way to manage my status instead of updating them in separate places. I started using Twitter mostly (and became addicted) when my cell phone wasn’t letting me access Facebook during one of the upgrades. For some reason, I couldn’t get on the Facebook mobile website at all. And that was no good. I had grown accustomed to letting the general public know my every move. I mean, who didn’t want to know that the man at the Kroger gas station had a creepy Chester mustache, or that I started a hoedown at the Dave Matthews concert, or that I sat next to a Kid Rock look-a-like at a festival in Louisville. I mean, anyone who knows me needs to know these things. Or so I like to think.

I love reading people's statuses. And not just my friends...people I don't even know. You can follow whatever or whoever you want on Twitter. Friends. Celebrities. Events. Bands. Authors. It's awesome. Some fun people I follow: Ashton Kutcher, Miley Cyrus, Seth Rogan, Oprah, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Paul Feig, Butch Walker, Joey McIntyre, Andy Davis, Dave Barnes, Mocha Club, The Ryman, Grand Ole Opry, Cross Point Community Church...

A lot of people have asked me recently why I do it. I can't give you many more reasons that what I've listed above. But I love it.

Follow me: amymthomas

You will love it too. I hope.

iphone envy...yes, me!

I've wanted an iphone since before they even came out. I've been trying to assess my situation with my current provider, but haven't been incredibly motivated to figure it all out financially. I am no longer under contract and my phone could use an upgrade. Now, of course, I don't need one, but I'm ready for a change. And recently, I've had several friends who have gotten iphones. I am suffering from iphone envy.

Tonight, I spent some time trying to figure out the difference in prices and what I'd be paying monthly. I would actually be saving money every month if I switched, but I'd have to pay for the phone up front.

My big dilemma comes from my beef with AT&T in the past. In 2003, I had their services and got completely screwed, so I'm a little hesitant to go back.

Oh...what to do!?!?