Random thoughts popping through my brain

On TV: There are only two days left until Survivor starts again. Yay! It's my favorite season of all. I'm struggling to figure out who will win the $1M this season as none of the "characters" pop out at me . Usually, there is one, or two even, who you can pinpoint to make it to the end.

On the Season: My favorite time of year, though is fall. I love the warm days and cooler mornings. The colors are rich and vibrant, unlike the pastels of spring. There's a certain smell in the air, maybe anticipation of the holidays coming up soon. It's almost time to start firing up the oven to bake cookies and warm treats.

On Fall: Warm treats are great, but not when you're at the top of your tubby scale. Wow, I dropped about 10lbs a year ago and somehow it's creeped back up and even has added a few more. I'm off to Belize here soon and need to get down to a shape that doesn't involve popping out of my bathing suit. Ugh!

On Exercise: Tried running (more like joggling) this morning since the weather is cooler. Well, it's cooler, but is still humid. I did only 2 miles and man, it was a struggle. In my early morning shadows, the legs and arms just didn't look like those of an athlete. They looked like a bird flailing after being hit by a car. Okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the picture. It was neither graceful, nor pretty. I miss the days when 5 miles was an "easy" run. The mileage will come back soon enough, as long as I get my butt back into it.

On Work: I'm so frustrated with my job right now. I LIKE to be in the middle of a lot of motion. When I moved teams back in February, I thought it might be a great opportunity to learn just one thing and learn it well. Well, I'm learning that I don't do well with only one thing (hence 2 jobs, writing online, sports etc.). I'm frustrated and bored. I'm starting to shake the trees to see what else I can do in the company without taking too big of a pay hit. I'm hoping I can hang on until January when the new budgets hit.

On Change: I'm excited for my friend, Becky. She has been frustrated in her job in the mortgage industry for quite some time now and has made a concerted effort to get out of it. Wow, when she does something, she does it BIG. She took some tests last week to become an insurance auditor. She passed them and gave notice on her job over the weekend. She literally could leave any moment now to go take care of business along the Texas Coast in the aftermath of Ike. Wow! I know this is a huge change for her, especially knowing she has to leave her wonderful boyfriend, Mike, behind, but I'm so proud of her for jumping in with both feet. She's smart and resourceful. I know she'll do well.

Making changes

I just got back from another trip to MN to visit my dear friends Greg and Deeann. Getting time to visit with special people with whom you can be yourself is such a wonderful feeling. I'm fortunate to have them in my life.

I read a book in the past year about friends and it got me thinking about relationships I've had over the years. Some of my best and longest lasting friendships have come out of the military, partly because we've shared so much time together in odd situations and places.

The friends I've made since coming to Texas have been very satisfying as well. I'm lucky to have gotten in with a set of girlfriends (and their hubbies) who share a lot of the same interests and we've collectively grown quite a bit in the six years I've been here. It's amazing how some of them you can just give a look and they know what you're thinking (which can be good or bad!)

It has also been a delight to meet new people who give you a new perspective. I recently met a lady down the street (well, she actually tracked me down, but that's another story). She enjoys being active as well, and I can't wait to have her meet some of the other girlfriends. She also is such a warm, exciting person. I've learned to think about being a little more open because of her already, though I still have a ways to go.

I've learned so much from all these people over the years. Many have given me great advice and even have told me when I'm being to anal about something! (Laugh). We've leaned on each each other when we're going through rough spells. It's incredible to watch this group pull together when we have to.

But at the same time all of this is going on, I've also learned to let go of relationships. Some of these are with people who are energy-suckers. These are the people with some kind of drama always happening and they need to be bailed out or reeled back in from their personal struggles. Some just don't give a rip, so why bother? Some you just grow apart from. It hasn't been easy to let go in some cases, especially when they live close to you, but with others, it's a relief.

I truely enjoy the friendships I have now. They keep me grounded and at times, pull me out of the house when I'm down. They are blessings to me. Thank you!