Hello!

I'm not waiting a month to post again. Weird right?

So I, the girl next door, have found an activity I really enjoy, and it is in no way kosher to my squeaky-clean image: I like pole dancing. I've been taking classes for about 3 weeks now, and I'm battered, bruised, and sore all over, and I couldn't be more pleased. :) My flexability is not up to par with where it needs to be, but I'm sure after a couple of months I'll get there. I love feeling strong and sexy. That's not something I get to feel on a day to day basis. I am constantly fighting myself for a positive self image. I typically feel I look weird and comical trying to do anything remotely sexy. This class has helped a lot with that. Not only because I'm in a comfortable environment, but the other girls taking the class seem to be in the same boat. We're constantly looking around at eachother to see if we are all feeling equally ridiculous. It also feels like we're getting to know eachother better and are starting to become comfortable with eachother. I might even go so far as to say I'd like to hangout with them after class sometime.

Saturday I went to a 4 hour pole dance bootcamp. Holy cow, my legs, arms, thighs, and ankles are killing me! And that's still today, on Monday, 2 days after the class! I learned some new tricks and a routine...not that I'll be using it anytime soon...things like this are where a boyfriend would come in handy...Well, maybe moves and confidence come first and then the boyfriend will follow...

It also snowed on Friday night. First time Charleston's had snow in a loooong time. Some places got up to 8 inches! I had to go out and run around in it. I'll post pics soon, when I get them loaded.

Other than that I spent Valentine's Day at home watching the Olympics. Oh yeah, I know how to party. :-P I actually spent the first part of the day taking photos in my room. I tend to be a bit uptight, and I hate that about myself, so I'm working on loosening up and having fun. And what I thought would be fun that morning was dressing up like Beyonce in the Single Ladies video and taking pics of myself.

I think I clean up pretty well, don't you? ;) Come and get me, boys! Haha.

That's all I have to post right now. Pole class is Tues and Thurs this week. and another HCC meeting on Thursday. I forgot to weigh in last week. Oops. We'll see how that goes. Bye!!

Where do I belong??

Hey there--

So what I am coming to discover is that I love it here. What I don't love is the lack of human contact outside of work.

Since coming here I have yet to make any friends. 0. That's a zero, I know it looks like an O, but it's smaller, and that makes it a zero. Trust me on this, people.

I joined Healthy Charleston Challenge and have successfully lost 23 lbs from Sept-Nov. I've been pretty good about keeping it off too. I fluctuate between 1-4 lbs. Not bad. I went from 179 down to 157.

I then went home for Christmas, and I loved seeing everyone again. :) But while I was home I realized that I don't really fit there anymore. I stopped in to work and felt completely out of place. I still love my co-workers, but I didn't belong there anymore. None of my friends even really live by Grand Rapids. Charleston would be more of a home if I had friends. I've pretty much figured out that home isn't were the heart is, it's where my friends are. If all my friends lived within 30 minutes of my house, i don't think I'd ever be sad or lonely again. Honestly, my friends are amazing.

So, in order to get some more friends, I have signed up for a couple classes. I am now a mentor at HCC for a new team with a new trainer. Unfortunately, everyone on the team is twice my age. Drat. There doesn't look to be too many people my age helping out either. Double drat. But it does motivate me to stay in shape, so I suppose that is a good thing.

I have also started volunteering at the children's hospital. I love kids, but when I signed up I think I pushed the depressing realities of hospital children out of my head. They all came rushing back quickly at orientation when an entire section covered "Loss: and volunteering afterwards."

Oh yeah...some sick kids don't get better. *sigh*

And (as if i didn't have enough on my plate) I am taking dance classes. This seems to be geared more toward girls my age. It's pushing me a little outside my comfort zone, but i'm finding the more I go, the more I like it. My competitive side kicked back in full swing at the last dance class when everyone could do a move and I couldn't. I got really angry that I couldn't figure it out. My body just doesn't bend that way...yet. This is something I will have to practice before class on Tuesday.

After work today I am heading to the Charleston Music Hall to see RENT! You have no idea how excited I am about this. I love that play and I finally get to see it. I don't even care if I'm by myself, I'm front row center!! Maybe I'll get pulled up on stage and I can sing La Vie Bohem with them. ...Dreaming is nice. haha.

Nothing really going on for Saturday. I'm deciding if I should go to a Jersey Shore party downtown at a local bar. I bet I could get the look down, but I don't know if going to a bar by myself is the best idea...

Sunday my roommate's dad is having people over to watch the Super Bowl. I am all about that. I already have 2 huge Papa Murphy's pizzas in the fridge. Yum! Go...team?

I am also mentoring the cutest puppy in the world at Pet Helpers. His name is Bronco and he is a 3 yr old Pitbull. He was abused and is not very trusting of anybody. At least when we first got him. It's been about 3 weeks of mentoring him and him going home with Alex (one of the kennel staff) every night. He now perks his ears up, waits by the cage door, loves to go on walks, and beats up on his friend, Rodeo. Seriously, is he not the cutest puppy you've seen? We're still working on his problem with sudden noises. I was sitting with him in his cage and one of the dogs started barking. Apparently he was saying not nice things about Bronco's mom, because Bronco ran to the front of the cage and practically did a backflip off it. Needless to say, I was impressed. :)

That's really all that's going on right now. If I have anything else of any importance to add...I'll do so in about 3 months. Haha.