What's that you ask? Why, yes. Yes, I am awesome. ;)

hahaha... I kid. I'm just a little proud of myself tonight.

It's Sunday night. I've been dreading this day all weekend. Last week I was feeling pretty crappy about running. I didn't want to do it anymore. Especially since I was sore all weekend from pushing myself on Thursday night. And, I wasn't looking forward to running tonight.

Today didn't really help. I wasn't sore when I woke up, but there were severe thunderstorms all night. Okay, I thought, I'll just go up to the apartment gym to run on one of the treadmills. I honestly prefer to run on a treadmill anyway. I just don't like to work out in front of people.

Well, those plans had to change because I couldn't find the access card to get into the gym. I spent forever looking for it and then I finally gave up. I decided to just suck it up and run in the rain... and hope to not be struck by lightning. ;)

Since it was pouring down rain, I didn't want to go with my normal route. It's a little too busy and curvy and hilly to run in the rain... I didn't want to be run over. So, I chose a safer route. It's a much shorter lap, which means that I had to run a lot more of them. It's also a less interesting route. But, it's less hilly, which does make it a little easier.

Before I started my run, I measured the route with my car to make sure that I was running the same distance. And then I ran. In the pouring rain. And, it was actually pretty pleasant. It kept me pretty cool. My lungs burned some for the first few laps but then I seemed to adjust. I ran the equivalent of my goal for this week (6 normal laps). AND IT'S ONLY DAY ONE OF THIS WEEK!!!

I feel awesome. :) I'm going to up my goal for this week now. My new goal for this week is seven laps. I know I can do it. Wish me luck! :)

Oh, ABDC Nights... You will be missed.

Thursday night I got my first stab of reality of something that I will truly miss about living here in Charlotte, North Carolina. There are a few traditions that I hold near and dear to my heart. Every Thursday night, my roommate Brandon and I watch ABDC (America's Best Dance Crew on MTV). We don't miss it. Ever. Even when I'm out of town, we still watch and call or text each other about what's going on.

In June, Philip and I will be moving to Denver, Colorado. That's about 1,600 miles away. And, around that time, Brandon will be leaving for the Republic of Korea (hopefully... *fingers crossed for ya, buddy*) to teach English.

That means that the ABDC tradition will probably cease to exist. And, it sounds silly, but that was really the first thing that has really made me think, "Ouch. I am really going to miss this." It's important to me. I don't have a lot of traditions. "Family" Thanksgiving with my college friends. Christmas with my family. Coloring and hiding Easter eggs with my family in Indiana. Watching Forrest Gump when I'm home sick. Going to Hacienda (my favorite restaurant in the world) when I go home to visit my family in Indiana. And, watching ABDC with Brandon on Thursday nights.

ABDC night isn't even just about the show. Don't get me wrong, I do love the show. However, it has also become a night of bonding. Bonding over who Brandon and I think should get to stay and who should go home. Bonding over the hookah and making jokes and just hanging out. It's become a night of fun and relaxation. And I know we both look forward to Thursday nights.

Since graduating, I've not seen a lot of my college friends very often. I see my friend Jon (check out his blog!) usually once every week or so (a lot of the time it's when he's joining Brandon and I to watch ABDC -- lol!). And, I live with Brandon. But, my other college buddies I don't see a whole lot. So, it that way, it's made it easier to leave Charlotte. My connections aren't as strong as they once were.

But, the connections I do have will be sorely missed. There are only a few episodes of ABDC left for this season. You can bet that I will be savoring every second of that time.

I didn't settle... and I paid the price. ;)

Wednesday night, I did the five laps. It wasn't pleasant, but I did it. I wanted to stop pretty much every step I took. So did Jack. haha. But, we got through it. And, I was proud of myself. It wasn't quite as awful as Tuesday night, so that's progress, right? ;)

Thursday night, it was really warm. I tried to run at about 9:00 pm so that I would be finished and cooled down and showered by the time ABDC started (I'm addicted... I watch with my roommate Brandon every Thursday night at 10:00). I only made it four laps. I was sweating and it was just ugly. It's been so cool every night that I've ran that I wasn't used to the heat.

I didn't want to settle. So, I came in. I cooled down. I watched ABDC with Brandon. Then, at about 12:30, I went for my run. I was determined to make all five laps. And, I did. And, it hurt. My legs were like jello by the time I finished. However, I had the pride of knowing that I didn't settle.

And then, yesterday, I got to pay the price for that pride. I woke up mostly just tired/achy. Not really that bad, but not feeling 100%. However, by last night, my thigh muscles were on fire. I had Philip rub them down with Icy Hot. It felt a lot better. But, then I couldn't sleep. :sigh: When I did fall asleep, I slept like the dead. I was completely out of it. For a LONG time.

I am proud that I did it. However, I need to make a mental note: I AM NOT READY FOR 9 LAPS IN ONE NIGHT. Yet. I will soon, I'm sure. ;)

This week's goal is 6 laps. I'm sure I can do it. Wish me luck. :)

I'm awesome... but probably going to die.

haha... okay, so that's probably an exaggeration, but I felt like I was going to die when I finished running a little while ago.

So, earlier tonight, I told you about how I was able to complete my goal for this week on day 2 of 5. So, I set a new goal for myself. I completed that goal tonight. HAHAHA. Yes, I am that awesome. I ran all 5 laps tonight without having to stop to walk.

Although, it did hurt. A lot. Not my legs or other muscles. My lungs. They burn. Like fire. I finished the run about 20 minutes ago. The burning has almost stopped, but I am still coughing a bit.

I really feel like I pushed myself tonight. I didn't think I was going to make it past three laps. But, I knew I could do it. I made myself keep going. The end of the fifth lap, I didn't feel as bad. I just felt proud that I was going to accomplish my goal already.

Since my body was really feeling it today, I'm not going to up my goal for tomorrow. I just want to be able to run the five laps with more ease. Meaning, I don't want to feel like death when I finish. ;) Wish me luck for tomorrow. :)


P.S. My new running shoes are great. I love them. They don't hurt my feet or my back. They are comfortable and breathe really well. I even ran through a giant puddle the other night when it was raining (I didn't see it in the dark), but the shoes were dry by the next day. They are GREAT running shoes. I really recommend them. Again, they are Saucony Grid Cohesion 3 running shoes. :)

Running... My first real test.

Last night, I really did not want to run. It was my first real test. I wasn't sore. I wasn't really tired. I just didn't want to do it. But, I did go for my run. I made myself do it. It helps that people around me are encouraging me. Philip tells me that he knows I can do it. Brandon (my roommate) always asks me if I've ran yet. My mom asks me how my running is going. So, I'm glad for the friendly "pressure" to keep going. It pushes me when I don't want to push myself.

I took a break from running Friday and Saturday to give my body a rest. I was pretty sore on Thursday. Friday, I was still kinda sore. Saturday, I wasn't very sore, but my muscles were still a little achy. Sunday, I wasn't sore at all. I went for my run that night. In the rain. It went pretty well. I ran the three laps that I ran last week. I ran them without having to stop to walk. I was still pretty proud.

Yesterday, I didn't want to run. The fact that it was cold outside didn't help. After the first lap, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to add another lap to it (my goal for this week was to run 4 laps without having to stop to walk). I was freezing and my lungs were burning. I really wanted to stop. I kept going.

I finished my first lap and then finished my second lap. As I was doing my third lap, I thought, "I'll just stop after this lap." About halfway through, I thought, "No, I'll at least walk the fourth lap." As I was finishing my third lap, I thought, "No, lets see how far I can run into this fourth lap. I'll stop when it gets to be too much."

So, I ran. I got about halfway through and my burning lungs wanted me to stop, but I thought, "I need to at least finish running this uphill part and then I'll walk the rest." But, when I finished that, I knew I could finish running the rest of the lap. And, I did. And, I was so proud. Day 2 of this week and I already finished my running goal for the week.

So, now I've made a new goal for this week. I want to be able to run 5 laps without stopping to walk by Thursday. It's going to be rough, I'm sure, but I think I can do it. At the end of lap four, I didn't feel terrible... aside from the burning lungs. That was because it was so cold last night. It's not quite so cold tonight and it's supposed to warm up a little bit tomorrow and Thursday.

So, tonight, I am going to run as far as I can. I will at least walk the fifth lap. Tomorrow, I will run as far as I can. I will at least run part of the fifth lap. And then, Thursday night, I will definitely run the full five laps. :) Wish me luck!

Running, Day 4

I ran yesterday (day 3). I could almost run all of what I set as a goal for myself for this week. I was incredibly sore, but when I started running, my muscles actually started to feel better.

I just finished my run for tonight (day 4). I was able to complete the goal I set for myself for this week. I ran all three laps without stopping to walk. I'm not saying how far in distance that goal is because it's not exactly awesome, but I do have to start somewhere. Each night, the running seems to get easier. My lungs were burning after tonight's run, but I don't feel as tired as I have the previous nights.

Again, today, I was really sore. Stairs are really difficult to do because my thighs burn when I go up and down them, but it's a nice kind of burn. I feel like I'm accomplishing something. :) But, again today, the run didn't seem too bad on my muscles. Stretching them by running seems to make the pain go away.

I am not sure if I am going to run tomorrow. I know I won't run on Saturday. But, I will definitely be back at it on Sunday. I'm not really sure how much rest I should give myself in between. I don't know if one day a week is enough rest or if two days is enough or too much. I have read mixed reviews. But, I think for now, I'm going to give myself 2 days a week off and see how that feels.

I stand by my decision...

Today, I came across a blog written by a teacher about school lunches. It's called "Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project." Basically, this teacher eats school lunch every day. She takes pictures and describes the food... if you can even call it that. She insists that students need good, healthy food for lunch each day in order to be good students... and for them to learn how to eat well so that they will not have to fight obesity and other health issues.

I agree with her completely. I know how crappy I feel when I indulge in food that is not so great for me. And that food is at least tasty. I can't imagine how I would feel after eating disgusting food that is also not good for me.

Sometimes, she also brings up the fact that the schools are lacking in funding which means that they may have to get rid of some teachers. And that means increasing class sizes -- up to 40 students per classroom. CAN YOU FATHOM HAVING 40 KIDS IN ONE CLASS WITH ONE TEACHER?? I can't.

I worked in a middle school for about 3 years. I wasn't even a teacher. However, I did spend some time in the classrooms. The most I ever saw in a classroom was around 30. And those classes were INSANE. The teachers are at their wits' ends and the students are bored and attention-deprived and not learning. It is not pleasant for students or teachers.

All of this reinforces the fact that I will surely home-school my children. I want my children to learn. I don't want them to have to deal with the crap that public school puts them through. Philip and I were both gifted children who ended up just being bored in school. That is a waste. I don't want my children's talents to be wasted. I want them to be encouraged and pushed. Not bored and frustrated.

When my children reach a certain age, I will probably put them in a private school so that they can participate in school activities and gain an actual high school diploma, but I will make sure that they are going to a good school. And, I will make them take their own lunch. That way I can be sure of what they are eating. And, since my children will be vegetarian, I doubt that the schools will be making an effort to give them something they could eat anyway.

Day 2: Yep, running still sucks...

Ugh. I just finished my second night of running. And, surprise, it still sucked. I have learned a great lesson though: don't eat brownies before running.

haha... that probably works for most foods though. I ate brownies about 45 minutes before I ran. And, they thought about making a reappearance. But, fortunately, they did not. Phew! **wipes brow** That certainly would not have made me want to run again tomorrow... or, you know, ever again.

So, now I know that I shouldn't eat soon before running. Which, looking back, I should've known not to do. I didn't think it would be a big deal since I didn't eat a whole lot of the brownies... but I had eaten dinner about 45 minutes before that. So, now I won't eat within an hour or so of running. :)

Other than that, the run went pretty well. I still had the burning lungs and the profuse sweating, but I didn't notice them so much since the partially digested brownie was speaking to me the loudest. hahaha And, I was able to run longer this time. Not a whole lot, but I've got to start somewhere, right?!

Jack (my Jack Russell/Poodle mix) did well again tonight but he wasn't quite as enthusiastic as he was last night. He's already passed out on his bed. :) At least we're both getting our exercise.

Now, I'm off to hit the showers. Until tomorrow... goodnight!

To Run or Not To Run...

When I was a little girl, I loved to run. And I was fast. I spent recess in elementary school running or playing on the jungle gym. I could beat people in races. It was one of the few athletic things I was good at. And I actually thought it was fun.

However, at some point between elementary school and now, I lost it. I now hate to run. And, I'm not good at it. And I am not fast at all. In fact, I am incredibly slow. However, there is one thing that hasn't changed for me about running. I still feel amazing after I run. Well, after the burning in my lungs stops, that is. ;)

So, I have decided to start running again. This past weekend Philip and I went shopping for a new pair of running shoes. It took forever because I have unusually wide feet for a woman. They don't really look wide (they look pretty dainty), but when it comes to shoes, it seems like my feet are enormous.

It's really hard to find women's shoes in wide sizes. And the ones I could find were not very comfortable. I found one pair of Asics that I really liked, but there was no way I was spending $150 on a pair of running shoes. We went to a few other stores and I finally found a pair of Saucony running shoes that fit really well and were in my price range (they were about $50).

And, I also picked up some pepper spray while we were at the mall because I don't like to run unprotected. This pepper spray is really bad@ss. It has regular pepper spray as well as military grade tear gas and UV dye (so the attacker can be identified later... as if you couldn't tell by the seriously burned face!) in it. I'm pretty happy with it because it's a weapon I feel confident wielding without fear of it being used against me. I have it gripped tightly in my hand with the safety off as I run so that I can use it in a moment's notice.

So, since I was prepared, I went for my first run tonight. It sucked. I just went for a few laps around the apartment complex. My lungs burned, I was sweating profusely, and I seriously hated just about every second of it (I took Jack with me and he was having a great time, so that made me a little happier about it). However, despite my hatred of the activity, I still find myself sitting here, about two hours later, feeling absolutely wonderful.

My muscles feel loose. My lungs feel great (I've been having a few asthma problems again lately, but I feel great tonight). I have tons of energy. And, I'm sure I'll sleep great tonight.

I will probably be sore tomorrow, but it will be worth it. I will start to see a notice in my shape immediately. Running works every part of my body. It tightens the muscles in not only my legs and butt, but also my back, my abs, and my arms.

So, even though I really don't like running, there are entirely too many positives that come out of doing it. And, after a few weeks, I will come to not hate it so much... I will not say "like" it, because that would be a lie. haha Maybe someday it will be an activity that I can say I actually enjoy. Maybe. Until then, I'm going to keep doing it so I can reap the benefits of the vile sport.

The Hunger Games

For Christmas, I received an inordinate amount of books. The first two I read were The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, or the first two books of The Hunger Games Trilogy. I devoured them. They are absolutely amazing books. I am holding my breath for the third and final book, Mockingjay, which comes out August 24th... or one hundred sixty-two days away. :)

This comes from the publisher's website:

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

It's incredibly suspenseful. And I couldn't put either book down. And, I'm sure I won't be able to put down Mockingjay either. If you get a chance, please read this series. You won't regret it.

Can anyone make it anymore?

Many of the people I knew from high school have gotten married or even had children. Many of those have even divorced. Some of them have been married and divorced multiple times. For the most part, I haven't really been surprised. It never seems that people have the right idea about marriage. It's always, "well, if this doesn't work out, there's always divorce." Our society has gone from thinking that marriage is eternal to thinking that marriage is disposable.

I firmly believe that marriage is forever. Once I take that vow, I will do what needs to be done to make a marriage work. It's a promise that I intend to keep.

The divorce rate is crazy high. I think it's because people have the wrong ideas about what marriage is supposed to be about. Marriage is not going to be all butterflies and rainbows. There are going to be problems. They have to be worked through. I think people also get married way too soon. People get married when they've had six months of bliss. People should be together for at least two years before getting married. And two years in high school or two years in college does not count. They have to be two years in the real world. The world with jobs/careers, paying bills, and having a real, grown-up life.

Anyway, as I was saying before, most of the time, I am not surprised when someone I know gets divorced. Disappointed, yes, but surprised, no. However, every now and then someone I know who seems to have really thought things through and had it all together gets divorced. And no matter how much or how little I know them, it hurts me.

It crushes that much more hope out of me. It leaves that lingering feeling that maybe no one really can make it. Maybe it's just too much to ask of two people. And that is a seriously depressing thought to me.

So, I usually wallow in that for a while, but then I still have to come back to that hope that I have. It can be done. I have seen it. I know it's out there and that it's possible. I have seen people who have been married for fifty years and are still happy despite everything that has happened in the time of their marriage. And that gives me hope. It is possible. And I will have it. :)

Ancestry - The Ketcham Family Line.

Over the past several months, I've been doing a lot of research on my ancestry. Until a few days ago, I couldn't find much for the Ketcham side of my family. I thought it was really ironic because I really wanted to know where the Ketcham name came from.

I could find the Williams side (my dad's mother's father's side), and the Troyer side (my dad's mother's mother's side), and the Freet side (my dad's father's mother's side), but I couldn't find the Ketcham side (my dad's father's father's side). It was what I was honestly most curious about, but I couldn't get back any further than my great-great-grandfather. And, that was only because my grandmother had up to that point written in the family Bible (which is now in my possession).

Anyway, a few days ago, I got a few leads and when I followed up on them, Bam! I found my great-great-great-grandfather. And, today, I found clear back to my great to the tenth power grandfather (haha). Here it is.

Tara Lyn Ketcham	1985-
Terry Lee Ketcham	1964-	Tammy Kay Milton	1966-
Ernest Jay Ketcham	1933-1999	Wilma Jean Williams	1934-2005
Ernest Alfa Ketcham	1895-1973	Charity Olive Freet	1901-1980
George Washington Ketcham	1869-1934	Anna Cedochca Shock	1869-1954
Simmons (Simeon) Ketcham	1835-?	Amanda Kimble	1839-?
Andrew Ketcham	1810-1861	Esther (Hester) Barnes	1811-1890
Holmes Ketcham	1772-1846	Mary Van Sickle	1784-1842
Danial Ketcham	1753-1829	Alice Holmes	1753-1781
Ebenezer Ketchum	1722-1777	Mary Sherwood	1725-?
Nathaniel Ketchum	1678-1738	Sarah Wakelee	1683-1738
Joseph Ketchum	1646-1730	Mercy Lindall	1658-1683
Edward Ketcham*	1590-1655	Sarah Salman	1608-1672

* Edward Ketcham was born in England. He came to the U.S. in 1635. He first arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts, but later settled in Connecticut. He was the first of the Ketcham name to arrive in the U.S.

Edward was a Puritan. His first wife died while he still lived in England, and he remarried immediately upon arriving in the U.S. He and his wife, Sarah, had a daughter named Sarah in 1640. She was likely the first of the Ketcham name to be born in the U.S.

Before Edward, the line is a little hazy. There are a few different possibilities as to who his father could have been. One of them was Sir Ronald Ketcham. It would not have been his real name. He was named so because he was the one to "ketch" Guy Fawkes.

(If you're not quite sure where you've heard that name, think V for Vendetta... "V" wore a Guy Fawkes costume because Guy Fawkes attempted to bring "The Gunpowder Plan" to fruition. "V" actually gets to follow through with his own "Gunpowder Plan" in the movie. And, so I think it's definitely cool that I could be related to the man who caught Guy Fawkes.)

Another option is from a line in England whose last name was Chetcham (most likely James Chetcham would have been Edward's father). It could also be that the name was chosen because the family came from Kitchenham or Kitcham in England (it was common to choose a last name based on a former residence).

As you can probably tell from the list, the spelling of the name changed back and forth from Ketcham and Ketchum, I guess based on simple preference.

Anywho... I'm just really wowed by all of it. I'm so excited that I've finally figured out where the Ketcham name came from. It's English! I'll have to blog later about my other ancestors. I just really wanted to share my Ketcham roots. ;)

Oh, also of minor significance, one of my cousins very far back is actually Thomas Edward Ketchum. He is also known as "Black Jack" Ketchum. He was actually a famous cowboy-turned-trainrobber. So, probably not the most likable guy, but he's one of the few famous people that I've found in my family tree.

Oh, and in case you're curious, I do most of my research on http://www.ancestry.com. It's a wonderful website!

Officially moving...

Philip and I will be moving to Denver, Colorado at the end of June. I thought that I would be more nervous about it than what I am. I mean, that's 3 and a half months away. It's coming up very quickly. I am more excited than anything. I am ready for a change.

I haven't lived anywhere other than Indiana or North Carolina, so Denver will definitely be different. And that's exactly what I want.

I will *hopefully* be starting a program to get my masters in Library Science. It's a mostly online program, so I will be able to work while going to school. It will take two years to complete. And then, I will be able to do something that I can enjoy and I'll be able to make decent money and actually have a job with benefits. Woo hoo!

And, Philip will be finishing his degree so he can start teaching. Then we can have a nice, normal, stable life together. haha. Normal. Yeah, right. ;)