Well it's been a busy couple of weeks. We've been working some late nights for conferences. However, the days have flown by because I've been trying to keep up at work. AND my friend Polly has a student teacher who is teaching full time now. This requires Polly to leave the classroom and she has been humoring me all week. We have had quite a few really good laughs. Nevertheless, several of us left conferences last night and went to Westport. McCoys was hosting Boobs Rock a benefit for breast cancer. A couple of ladies from one of my favorite bands, Cherry Bomb, were to perform. So enjoy some dinner we did and listen to some other people that we didn't think were so talented we did as well. Just as the fatigue of the week was catching up with us and we were getting impatient for our girls to rock, a person appeared on my lap. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman at first, but as I was scooting closer to my friend Mary and grabbing her leg under the table the person was scooting closer to me as well and when I could not get any further away and was face to face with it, I learned it was in fact a she. She proceeded to tell me how adorable I was. One would hope my friends would have been planning my exit, but they all had their phones out snapping pics and posting captions as quickly as they could on FB. The person, Heather, continued to tell me how cute I was and how fun it was to make me blush. I was a little scared because I didn't know what Heather really wanted. Turns out she was collecting email addresses for a band she was promoting. I gave her one, but it wasn't accurate. She finally left me and the girls told me I had made their evening. Not a lot of time passed before she came back. This time she completely sat on my lap and told me my smile was contagious and she could resist being around me. She hasn't had many reasons to smile in her life recently and I make her smile. Are you kidding me? Well of course then the counselor in me came out and I said, "That makes me said that you have no reason to smile." I quick realized I needed to shut up because she got this look in her eye and I really wanted to get out of there. My friend Stephanie who had been at another booth came over to tell me by and Heather made an exit after which so did we. Words which come to mind to describe this event were terrifying, awkward, and ultimately hilarious.

After my night out I had a workout planned with Mike this morning. I was a little concerned because I went to bed around midnight and had to meet him at 9:00. The thing is in order for that to happen you have to get up early and eat your protein and get hydrated. Sporting my new "Boobs Rock" tshirt, I got to the gym and ran for three minutes on my own before he arrived. Of course, since he didn't see it, he doesn't believe it happened. So we lunged. While I was lunging I shared the events of the previous night and the entire rest of the workout was filled with one liners courtesy of Mike the trainer or Mike the comedian whichever you prefer. It was a really good workout. I was on my game. I think. Except for the fact that my right shoulder and left shoulder are not the same strength and one is always compensating for the other. I'm happy to be able to get back in my workout groove. Gonna hit the gym and the diet both hard this week. I guess I'm going to need to get on the scales and see where that number is too. I'm hoping for a significant weight loss between now and Christmas. And a few more drastic inches. Michael thinks the diet is going to make this happen. I'm a little nervous about the diet, but I have to get my head wrapped around it and just do it. NO EXCUSES! I have to plan ahead and be prepared.

You know emotions sometimes cause me not to eat at all. Sometimes emotions cause me to make bad food choices. This week we will be having the auction of my grandparent's place. I can't believe it is finally here after a fall full of work. It is in fact emotional. I can't think about it without shedding a few tears. Several reasons: the first is that Grandpa is going to be leaving the house. I've had conversations with him and he is struggling. We all know he can't stay there another winter. Last winter he went without water for weeks on end because of frozen pipes that burst and we couldn't get to them to fix them. He's never had hot water in this place. It is so secluded that it isn't really safe for him to be out there on his own. Anyway, he has now said that once all of his stuff is sold he will not want to spend another night there because everything will be gone. We are hoping he can spend the night of the auction in his new place. I feel so bad for him. Years and years and years of things will be sold. Memories made in that home will not be so close anymore. I'm worried about him as they start selling his stuff...how hard is that going to be for him emotionally? Poor Grandpa. I love him soooo much. He is one of the GREATEST men I have ever known.
Another emotional piece for me is this: a senior from my hometown died early this morning as a result of a head injury from a foot ball game. His older sister was one of my sister's best friends in high school. They spent a lot of time together. My mom went to school with Nathan's dad. We aren't supposed to ask why in situations such as these. I prefer to think that God needed Nathan for something now. It's emotional to me because I think of all of my friends who are suffering this loss. It is hard for me. I want to be able to help. Yet, there is nothing I can do. It brings back memories of when I was a freshman and Brad and Mark were killed in a drunk driving accident. I will never forget when we went to school that Monday. You could have heard a pin drop on the floor. I'm still not sure why we went at all. They cancelled school for the rest of the week. A loss such as that is something you are never able to cope with, but especially when you are in high school. It's so unfair. It makes me think of the Chris Tomlin song "I will Rise"
"And I will rise when he calls my name
no more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
I will rise"