Getting Ready

So, clearly I'm picking and choosing which of the prompts I'm using. Its fine, this is my blog, I can do what I want. Right? Of course.

It always feels like I'm getting ready for something; work, vacation, training. Always preparing for an event or experience.  Right now I'm getting ready in the short term for our fantastic vacation, more long term for my second half marathon. Preparation is an uphill battle. When it comes to vacation planning I am all over that, the planning of our days, what we're going to do, who we're going to see. That is all so much fun!

Getting ready for a half marathon on the other hand is a very daunting and laborious task. Days, weeks, and months of preparation all boil down to the success of one 3 hour period. That is a terrifying thought. It is also incredibly rewarding. This January I can't wait to cross that finish line for a second time. I can't wait for a new PR and to have another great medal put around my neck! For that I get up and get ready every day.

4. Alone

A beautiful early morning, alone in the Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge

There are very few moments in life where I truly appreciate being alone. Of all places I found this appreciation at Disney World on our trip last year. If you have never had a chance to stay at or even visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge, I strongly suggest you do. This resort is so large, sprawling and beautiful you can't help but realize you are entirely alone from time to time.

On vacation I am a morning person, at home in my day-to-day grind I am not. Every morning of our trip last May I woke up around 0530. I would pull my cardigan on over tank top and yoga pants and meander the vast landscape of this resort to get the blessed nectar of life, coffee. Every morning was like my own personal safari adventure.

Along with the serenity and peace it provided me, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the day crowds, it allowed me to see things and details I think I would overlook during the busier times of the day. I also gave me an overwhelming appreciation of all of the custodial, horticulture, and animal care Cast Members.

As I was the only guest up and about in the resort, or so it seemed, I became a familiar face to a few CM's. They would smile and wave, wish me a good morning, and even joke with me about my alone time in the morning. It was pleasant and peaceful. These alone moments also made me feel special. I was the crazy lady who wandered the grounds with her coffee and camera in hand at the crack of dawn.

3. Lines

I'm using an old picture for today's prompt. It is definitely not my best photographic work, but it serves its purpose. My mom and I are gearing up for a fun weeklong adventure back to the Happiest Place on Earth.

I love Disneyland, it is my "home", I feel so much joy and comfort just walking through the esplanade. Someone asked me recently what it is that I find so enjoyable about visiting the park as often as I do. How could I possibly find joy in the throngs of people and long lines? I tend to be fairly awkward in social situations, my mom would disagree, however I have found the older I get the weirder I get about social conventions. However, at Disney it is easy to find a common bond with many visitors. I find this particularly true at Disneyland because it is a "local's park". I feel like the lines and the waiting is a chance to meet new and interesting people who share my love, affection, and appreciation for Walt's park. I tour solo a lot, which opens me up to a lot of time with complete strangers.

Waiting in line for attractions is a fun way to pass time, meet people, or just watch them. Honestly, the lines are as fun as the attractions sometimes. Everything at Disney is about the experience, and the lines are no exception. Take the time to enjoy the 45 minute wait for Star Tours, not only is the queue immaculately themed, but you get to observe and interact with so many wonderful people; Star Wars nuts, Disney Geeks, weekend warriors, harried parents.

Waiting in line is a fact of life, but it can be an enjoyable and shared experience. I made a young French girl's day while waiting in line for an attraction during our visit last May. She asked about a pin I had tacked to my purse. I told her she could have it, it was something I had made and if she wanted it it was hers. Seeing her happy made my visit just that more enjoyable. Its little things like that, I feel, that make Disney Parks a special place.

1. Together

The first prompt for the September Photo a Day is the word together. Although I did not get a picture, I did have a wonderful time of "Together" today. I got a message from the husband of a good friend yesterday asking if we wanted to get together this weekend. We were able to do that today.

Together is a very special word. It means so much to so many people. Though I do not get to be together with my dear husband as much as we'd like, I do have many terrific friends to which I am thankful call, text, message and write to me to come together. Today I got to spend time with an old friend and her family. We had a wonderful time and I appreciate our friendships, and the laughter and joy we share. It is always good to spend time together with people you love. Whether you see them once in a while or all the time, I appreciate being able to have a sense of community and family whether the family is the one to which you are born or the one you create yourself. It helps to hold me together.

Since writing and blogging is something I want to be better at, and I really want to be better at my Photo-A-Day challenge (one of these months I'm going to finish more than a week!), I thought maybe I could try to combine the two. So for the month of Sept I am going to try combining the photo prompt with a post. I really love the photo challenges over on the blog, Fat Mum Slim. Chantelle does a bang up job every month. There are instructions and everything over at her blog if you want to play along too! I usually share my photos to Instagram, as that is my preferred social media platform.

So as with most things in my life I'm starting this a day late, but at least I'm starting! Here's to a happy September.

Commitment

Commitment is a very hard word apparently. I suck at this blogging thing. I suck at sticking to a workout routine. No really, I do. However, I feel I may be able to get better, maybe. Only time will tell. I know these are things I said, thought and felt so many times before, but this time I feel a little differently. I realize with my husband gone so much I need to find an outlet for frustration, for creativity, for motivation and for letting myself know its ok, even when I feel so sad and tired I don't want to do anything.

Over the past few years many things have changed and heaved and rearranged in my life. Jobs changed, both for me and my husband. With those changes now means he will spend significant amounts of time away from home, and I am realizing I am more dependent on the companionship of another human than I would ever like to admit. I've let the depression and apathy monster get the best of me, I've put on way more weight than I'd like to admit. I've started and failed at so many attempts to better myself and become a healthier version of who I am now. I am hoping that just journaling my thoughts through a blog may help with many of those things. So here it goes again.

Today was my new beginning. I ran a comfortable 1.5 miles, I wasn't any of the things I thought my out of shape self would feel. Instead of sore and tired and weak, I felt energized and good for the first time in a while. Here is to commitment to me and making myself what I know I can become.

Sometimes when you fail, you don't

I rode the struggle bus hard this morning on my run, or at least I feel like I did. Map My Run says otherwise. Its funny how it seems when I feel like I'm at my worst, my numbers seem to be better. My speed increased today versus the past couple days. Maybe I pushed myself harder and I just feel like it was harder (I suppose that's how this whole fitness thing works). I did change up my music. I guess a little Mamma Mia did the trick, thanks ABBA!

3 weeks into the Couch to 5K program. I'm still pretty pumped. However I'm more proud of the inspiration I have given to my friends and co-workers. My boss and another friend at work have both started the C25K and we've been more inspired to talk to our patients about health and fitness goals over the past couple weeks. A little accountability goes a long way. This is the first time I've really felt like I can't quit because I will not only disappoint myself, I'll disappoint so many other people. I'm still terrified of the prospect of running a half marathon in 25 weeks. Eek!

In Need of Advice

HELP! I am in desperate need of advice. If you've read a couple posts back about my re-dedication to blogging/running/fitness you will learn I am a terrible fund raiser. I need ideas of how to raise more fundage for my Tinkerbell Half Marathon commitment to Autism Speaks. I have no idea what to do. If anyone out there has been successful and not pushy in their efforts, please share! I know what I am not willing to do to raise money, and I want to make it fun!

Tomorrow is a new day

Tomorrow starts week 2 of my training. So far so good. I still feel pumped, I still am excited. I also received my first donation towards my fundraising goal (thanks dad!). Although, I have been slightly lackadaisical about my food intake this week. Its funny how easy it is to slip back into your junky eating habits. I still love my chips and salty, crunchy snacks. Bad habits are hard to break.

Each day is a chance to make better choices and tomorrow is a new day. I am truly blessed with friends and family who help keep me honest. I have 2 friends who have been checking in with me frequently to see how I'm doing. Its amazing how much that little bit of long distance support can take me. Running is a wonderful solo activity, it allows for a great amount of introspection. But knowing I have a team of friends encouraging me and cheering me on is one of the best feeling ever.

Here we go again!

Ok, this time I mean it. I am committing to blogging, at least for the next 27 weeks. Why 27 weeks you ask? Well, that is how I came to the decision to re-commit to this whole blogging idea, which I totally failed at so many times before.

Starting this past Monday I started training for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland on January 20, 2013. So far so good, but I'm only 1 week in. I've decided to look at this in a one week at a time mentality. Running for me is hard enough. I will be honest with you all, I am in terrible shape. There I said it. I've gotten lazy and gained far too much weight. But like anything else in life, when in doubt, set a goal!

That goal is now about 27 weeks away, 13.1 fabulous miles through Disneyland and Anaheim, CA, and a fundraising goal of $1,250. I have decided to team up with the Autism Speaks team for this particular marathon. I am a terrible fund raiser, well, as an adult I am a terrible fund raiser. When I was little and cute this was SO simple! As an adult it is going to prove to be a much more daunting task.

However, like my training regime, I will also have to look at this in a one day at a time mindset. Every day is a new day and every day is an opportunity. If I can commit to running, raising money is a small task! If you feel moved to help me out, if you know any one who has been touched by Autism, or you are a true saint please help me raise money for Autism Speaks! If only 96 of you lovely folks give me $13.1 (that's only a mere $1 per mile I will run) I can easily reach my goal!

You can donate here (if this link doesn't take you directly to my page, you can search for me- Nicole Sorrentino) http://events.autismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1020061&lis=0&kntae1020061=0E20024D1721473C9E8C51FD4218E260

Thanks! You all are amazing!

how much is too much?

I have been pondering this question as I'm debating at least 2 additional trips to Disneyland this year. I have many friends who are as die hard as I am, but they are dwarfed by the amount of friends who worry for my sanity. So it begs to reason, how many trips are too many trips in a single calendar year?

I am an out of state Disneyland annual pass holder. This in and of itself raises red flags in my non-Disney loving friends. To me after 2 week-long trips a year, it seemed silly not to get an AP, however, that logic has a few drawbacks. Those drawbacks happen to include, "but I have an AP now, I HAVE to make the most of it!" and "I can totally take a long weekend this weekend!" among a few others. If I take at least 4 trips in a one year period I've paid for my pass. But what's wrong with a few more? Right?

I'm a big fan of discount travel sites and utilizing any cost cutting measures I can. I am lucky enough to have a flight attendant friend who helps fuel my addiction with discount airfare as well. So with that all added together, I can rationally do a 4 day weekend for around $300 with hotel, car, and airfare. That leaves a lot of room for thought.

Addiction or not, is there really such a thing as too much Disney? The beauty, luxury, relaxation, fun and magic surrounding a few days at Disney is something you do not get to experience every day. Maybe one day I will tire of the magic, but until then, I think that at least 6 Disney filled (both Land and World) trips isn't too much nor is it really enough. Maybe I can squeeze in a Christmas trip too...

Dedication

I really need to force myself to sit down a few times a week and actually write something. I know, no one really reads this, but I like to believe someone wants to hear what I have to say. And hey it gives me something to do!

2 days left

So we're down to the wire. Suitcases are packed, tickets are in hand, APs are in my wallet, electronics are charging. Now, hurry up and wait! The last couple days before a trip are always the hardest. I'm running out of stuff to keep me busy! The pre-vacation crazies are starting to set in.

There still are a handful of things I haven't settled on I suppose. I'm still on the fence about doing another guided tour. I do need to return a few things to the library as well. That is something I have forgotten about before, and its hard to ask your house-sitter to return your overdue books. But I think the one thing that has been decided for us is this, we are spending an entire week almost exclusively at Disneyland! I know, many of you are thinking, how in the heck could you spend and ENTIRE week there, its so small. Well, you would be surprised. One, its off season so crowds are lower and so are wait times. Two, I'm on a mission to take some more interesting pictures this trip, so I can spend an entire day hunting for neat shots.

To anyone who says that once you've seen Disney you don't need to go back, it never changes, well, I'm setting out to disprove that. The parks are an ever changing entity, and with all the recent construction (on both coasts) I cannot wait to compare pictures from my last several trips with the new ones I will have from this trip. And, if anyone has any suggestions for neat, funny, witty, interesting shots, please let me know!

Guided Tours at Disneyland

Since we did the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour with our friend Kim this summer, I have been toying around with the idea of taking it again with my friend Kelly next week. I absolutely loved the tour. Not much of the information was new to me, I read too much, but both my mom and Kim were delighted by it. I will admit, had our tour guide not been so engaging, I'm not sure I would feel the same.

We had a small group, albeit an odd group. Actually I don't think odd even begins to describe the dynamic, but I digress. I absolutely loved the interaction and level of interest the tour guide maintained through the entire tour. For those of us thoroughly engrossed in the history and essential "Walt-ness" of Disneyland, I think that the tour shouldn't be a disappointment.

I think for me, the highlights of the tour were the audio tid-bits we were afforded by the use of headsets. It was neat to walk down Mainstreet and see what Walt saw and hear his voice. It just added a little extra magic to an already magical place for me. Then to move on and meet "Ophelia" was another high point. Getting up close and personal with an animatronic flower is a fun experience for anyone interested in the "how does it work" side of some of the classic attractions.

All-in-all, I think there will be another Walk in Walt's Footsteps in my near future. If not by a paid guided tour, at least I can pretend. I still believe you walk in his footsteps everytime you pass through the turnstiles. "To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land."

Listening is a practised skill

Ignorance and unsolicited advice! I hate when you ask a question and instead of someone actually answering the actual question I ask, all I get is someone's opinion of what they think I really wanted to hear! If I wanted to hear about the horrible experience you had because you're a big whiner who uses your shortcomings as an excuse as to why no one likes you or were treated unfairly, I totally would have asked! Ugg! So just a piece of advice for the new year friends, when someone asks you an honest question, think long and hard about the actual words used in said question and answer appropriately.

January 2010 PTR

A friend yesterday told me I should write a travel book. I laughed. Of course I laughed, I mean really, me, write a book? Then I thought, ok maybe I could. I am so very blessed to have family and friends who are willing to support my craziness and encourage me to use my craziness for potential moderate financial gain. My mom told me to use my blog more, and my dear friend told me she'd technologically stalk me to keep me productive and motivated. So here it goes. So far nothing exciting just some trip details and observations....we see where this all goes-

Upcoming Trip Disneyland and Southern CA January 23-29. The travelers this time are my mom and myself, and my friend Kelly (same one who thinks I should write a book) will be joining us midweek. When we bought our DL annual passes this fall I knew I got some pretty hefty discounts, at least by Disney standards, on property, but I didn't realize I could get some off property as well. Thank you social media! Hojo Anaheim is currently running some amazing AP room specials and I snagged one up. I'm hoping we are not disappointed! From HoJo's website and trip advisor, this looks like the nicest Howard Johnson hotel in existence.

Granted it will be late January while we are there, I am hoping to be able to try their pirate themed water playground/pool complex. Who doesn't like pirates? Even if its to cold for water park fun, there is a nice hot tub and promises of a new deluxe hot tub/spa (I know it is talked about in their YouTube video about the pool complex. Yes, the HoJo Anaheim has a YouTube channel! Its great use of social media and gets you really excited to visit their property.) A hot tub is great any time of the year.

Because of the great AP rate I found, we were able to reserve a premium, Disneyland view room. I hope this does not disappoint. This particular hotel also offers a few amenities I appreciate, refrigerator, microwave, balcony, FREE Wi-fi, and the best of all...Keurig coffee makers in the rooms. I can finally have good coffee in our hotel room, and not just in the park! Oh, how I long for a cup of coffee in our "coffee spot" on Mainstreet USA....

T-minus 1 week and counting

So we are down to the wire for the BIG road trip....I'm starting to have my pre-vacation jitters. There's not much left to do, but I still feel like I'm missing something. I've been working on packing, still too much crap. Need to clean out the cooler and start picking up snacks for the road. But despite all the "other" stuff that's still needing to be done, all I can think of is, OMG we're going to be in Disneyland in a week! I know my dad asked if we ever thought of vacationing anywhere else, of course, its not like we're skipping out on seeing southern California. I just thoroughly enjoy Disneyland, what's wrong with that?

So I guess that leads to the BIG decisions, like, what to snack on first, what ride to go on first, what characters to see, what type of photos will I take this time? Who knew it could be so complicated, ;)

Humanity Parade

A good friend on mine is a flight attendant, and that said, she sees some what I shall refer to as "interesting" people in her travels. I love her insights into humanity. She posted a photo album last week that reminded me of the photos Lilo took of tourists in "Lilo and Stitch". It was entertaining and enlightening. I also like to people watch. I do it a lot. However, now I think I will do it with camera in hand. I was looking for a photo theme for our upcoming trip and I think, thanks to K, I will focus my photo taking on painting a portrait of the hoards of Disney tourists in their humanity parade.

For the past few years we have developed a routine in the park. We get there fairly early, get a cup of coffee on Mainstreet and camp out for a morning people safari and then repeat mid afternoon, and at park closing. You see some of the same people and I am fascinated by their daily change in appearance and demeanor. The typical theme park visiting family is ill-prepared for the day to day hustle and bustle of the American family vacation. No one has a plan, and there is no pre-trip training, amateurs. This year I will make it my mission to dutifully photo document this "Humanity Parade".

Disneyland here we come, well, soon anyway

I need a new hobby. Well one that doesn't cause obsessive thoughts and weird outbursts of useless trivia. I know many of my friends do share this same obsession, but I know a lot of you think its unhealthy. Travel planning makes me happy. Ok, so I might get a little carried away now and then, but I have it under control, really.

We are now 40 days out and I can't wait. I'm hoping keeping this PTR up will keep me moving through the next 6 weeks of classes :) For 40 days out, I have most of our proverbial ducks in a row so to speak. Hotel, booked. Trip, routed and in the GPS. Dining reservations, made (well, 2 of them, I'm waiting for the 3rd restaurant at DCA to re-open). Tickets, purchased. Spreadsheet calendar, made but still needing adjustments. I have most of our true Disney planning done, but the rest of the trip still needs some work.

We will have 9 days to spend in sunny California. With our 5 day park hopper ticket, a day trip to Catalina, a Sony Studios tour with Cousin John, I'm not sure how much else we can cram in, but I'm gonna try!

No day but today

I put my Rent shirt on today that has this phrase written on it. It inspired me. How true that phrase is, there really is no day but today. Ok, I can hear you saying, sure captain obvious, of course that's true. Look at it with me, put on your existential glasses, dig deep and embrace the cliches of life. If you don't live for today, then what is there. I like the idea of living in the now. I plan for silly things like vacations and meals, but the nuts and bolts of life, I like to fly by the seat of my pants. No matter how hard you try to shape your destiny, I believe, certain forces will push you in a specific direction no matter how hard you try to avoid the inevitable.

I spent a good portion of today trying to nail down which portion of the medical world I would like to work. I have spent the better part of a year figuring out what I want to do with my career, all I've been able to do is figure out what I don't want to do. The career marketing class I am in now is forcing me to narrow down my choices of who and where I want to work. I'm a terrible decision maker. The job market is a whole lot more intense than the last time I had to look for a job. You have to know the key words to get your resume noticed, say this, don't say this, buzzword this, and career killer that. It is a nightmare! Job hunting should not be this complicated. Either you are qualified or you're not. Alas, it is no longer that simple.

So now I must seize the day and join the ranks of all the other professional job hunters of the world. So tomorrow I will bite the bullet and start calling doctor's offices to talk about my career and feel out whether or not their specialty is the right choice for me. Carpe Diem, no day but today.....