Well, this is going to be my last post on this particular blog. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my stuff so far, and if you would like to continue then you will be pleased to know that I have set up a new website that will be launching soon! I just have a few more bugs to work out and some more editing to do, and then you can continue following me along my journey of life.
Thank you to all my friends and family who have supported my blogging and shared it with others in their social networks. I really appreciate it!
See you all soon at my new website :) Love ya!
XOXO,
~Fluffy Girl~
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sick and Tired
As I'm sure some of you have noticed, I haven't been writing much lately. This is for a number of reasons, but the main one is that I feel like absolute crap every single day. I'm exhausted for no good reason, and I don't even have the energy to think of anything to write about. My entire body aches from my neck to my feet. Literally--I am not exaggerating one bit. I feel like I'm 80 years old, not 34. I have also been having troubles focusing and paying attention to anything for an extended period of time. I know this is because I am being under-treated for my thyroid disease, and yesterday I decided I have had enough of this doctor I am currently assigned to.
I called the endocrinology clinic and basically demanded in the nicest way possible--which for someone who is suffering from hypothyroid symptoms is not very nice at all--that I get reassigned immediately. Within two hours, I got a phone call from a different doctor and we talked for almost 20 minutes about all my symptoms and the struggles I have had finding a good doctor since moving here 2.5 years ago. This doctor seemed knowledgeable and asked lots of questions, unlike the doctor I saw back in November. He reviewed my test results from the blood work I did recently and told me that my thyroid hormone levels are indeed too low--which is incredible considering his colleague just told me last week that everything "looked good" when I called to get the results of my blood test. I do not understand how two doctors in the same clinic practicing the same specialty of medicine can have completely opposite findings regarding my blood test results. Neither of us could come up with a logical reason for it, and that doctor is on leave until next month. How convenient for him. I will be following up in a couple weeks to see what happens with him. I only saw him once, but I knew from the get-go that he was no good. And surprise, he's not!
Alright, enough about that. Another thing on my mind lately that has had me preoccupied is Hubby's deployment. A couple weeks ago I wrote about how things change constantly in the military (you can read that post here) and sure enough, a couple days after I wrote that post things changed yet again. Now we are back to the original deployment date of June. I really, really hope that they don't change it again because I'm not sure how much more of this emotional roller coaster I can take. I know Hubs is getting frustrated too--we kinda just want to get it over with already so we can move on. We are excited to see what will happen when he gets back next year, because we will be due for a move. I love being near the ocean and there's tons of stuff to do here, but I am ready for something new.
Hubs is currently gone doing deployment training for three weeks. What's really interesting is that he is up in Wisconsin just a few miles from our hometown! I have to admit that I'm kinda jealous he's so close to home and might get to visit friends and family while he's up there. As much as I hate that town and all of it's drama and the bad memories it brings to mind, I do really miss my loved ones. It's hard being so far away from everyone sometimes. There are days I wish I could just go to my parent's house to sit and talk to them, or go to my brother's house and hang out at his bar. Every time we miss a holiday, birthday party, or other special event I always feel a little homesick. Hopefully I will be able to make it up there soon for a visit.
I've also been working on a couple projects, and I hope to be sharing them with you sometime in the near future. Stay tuned for updates!
~Fluffy Girl~
I called the endocrinology clinic and basically demanded in the nicest way possible--which for someone who is suffering from hypothyroid symptoms is not very nice at all--that I get reassigned immediately. Within two hours, I got a phone call from a different doctor and we talked for almost 20 minutes about all my symptoms and the struggles I have had finding a good doctor since moving here 2.5 years ago. This doctor seemed knowledgeable and asked lots of questions, unlike the doctor I saw back in November. He reviewed my test results from the blood work I did recently and told me that my thyroid hormone levels are indeed too low--which is incredible considering his colleague just told me last week that everything "looked good" when I called to get the results of my blood test. I do not understand how two doctors in the same clinic practicing the same specialty of medicine can have completely opposite findings regarding my blood test results. Neither of us could come up with a logical reason for it, and that doctor is on leave until next month. How convenient for him. I will be following up in a couple weeks to see what happens with him. I only saw him once, but I knew from the get-go that he was no good. And surprise, he's not!
Alright, enough about that. Another thing on my mind lately that has had me preoccupied is Hubby's deployment. A couple weeks ago I wrote about how things change constantly in the military (you can read that post here) and sure enough, a couple days after I wrote that post things changed yet again. Now we are back to the original deployment date of June. I really, really hope that they don't change it again because I'm not sure how much more of this emotional roller coaster I can take. I know Hubs is getting frustrated too--we kinda just want to get it over with already so we can move on. We are excited to see what will happen when he gets back next year, because we will be due for a move. I love being near the ocean and there's tons of stuff to do here, but I am ready for something new.
Hubs is currently gone doing deployment training for three weeks. What's really interesting is that he is up in Wisconsin just a few miles from our hometown! I have to admit that I'm kinda jealous he's so close to home and might get to visit friends and family while he's up there. As much as I hate that town and all of it's drama and the bad memories it brings to mind, I do really miss my loved ones. It's hard being so far away from everyone sometimes. There are days I wish I could just go to my parent's house to sit and talk to them, or go to my brother's house and hang out at his bar. Every time we miss a holiday, birthday party, or other special event I always feel a little homesick. Hopefully I will be able to make it up there soon for a visit.
I've also been working on a couple projects, and I hope to be sharing them with you sometime in the near future. Stay tuned for updates!
 |
| By the way, this is my new friend at work. His name is Felix. He likes hanging out in the fake tree by my desk and watching me work. |
~Fluffy Girl~
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Shamrock Race Recap 2014
Well, it's all over. Four months of preparation, and it's done in the blink of an eye!
I didn't achieve a personal record, but the important thing is that I finished. Even though I am now 35 pounds heavier (thank you, thyroid disease) and only did about half the training as I did the first time I ran this race (thank you, injuries), I finished within five minutes of my previous time.
On Saturday I headed down to the Virginia Beach Convention Center to pick up my race packet. I got to meet Bart Yasso, who is the Chief Running Officer of Runner's World magazine. His stories were inspiring and hilarious. I'm really glad I was able to catch his speech and meet him. He is an amazing man who knows everything there is to know about running!
 |
| Bart Yasso speaking at the expo |
 |
| Bart Yasso and I |
My favorite part of any race is the couple minutes before the gun goes off. The excitement is high, my heart is pounding, everyone is pumped up, and it is such a major rush to be part of something so huge. The moment I have been training and working so hard for, worrying about, and stressing over for the past four months is finally about to happen. There's a million things running through my mind in those last few seconds. And when the gun goes off, there is no turning back.
 |
| Just minutes before the start. Let's do this! |
 |
| My Corral: #6 |
 |
| Beautiful Ocean Sunrise |
The last half mile of this race is soooo awesome. The finish line is right on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean. A beautiful way to end an amazing race!
 |
| Almost done, I look exhausted! LOL |
 |
| I made it! Love the Finisher's Beach Towel, I will use it this summer! |
 |
| Of course, I promoted my blog while running this race :) |
 |
| Bling, Bling! |
My stats:
Official Chip Time: 2:35:33
Overall Results: 6565 out of 8936 finishers
Age Group (30-34) Results: 678 out of 984
Gender Results: 3685 out of 5510
~Fluffy Girl~
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Always Write in Pencil
When I became an Army wife in 2007, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was happy (and honestly--relieved) to escape my tiny hometown in Wisconsin to begin a new chapter of my life with my new husband in Texas. Little did I know just how tough it was going to be.
I went through some very traumatic experiences when I was a teenager, but that is a different story for a different time...maybe. It's difficult for me to think/talk/write about it. But my point is, those experiences shaped me into the person I am today, which is a very strong woman who is also somewhat of a control freak. I can admit that. I don't like surprises, and it freaks me out to be in situations that I have no control over. As I have now learned, the military lifestyle is not easy for a control freak. I never know what the hell is going on or what will happen next.
Looking back, I now realize how unprepared I was and how little I knew about military life when I got married. Unless you grew up in a military family, it is impossible to have any idea how tough it is. All of the "unknowns" and "what-ifs" of military life make me a little crazy in the head sometimes. Between deployments, moving every couple years, field exercises, temporary duty assignments, 24 hour staff duty schedules, promotion boards, unit transfers, meetings, recalls, tracking soldiers, counselings, classes, constant phone calls and text messages, FRG functions, and everything else that soldiers do, it is really hard to keep track of whether he is coming or going sometimes.
Over the years I have learned one very basic and valuable lesson as a military wife:
For example, we just found out last week that the deployment has been postponed until the end of the summer. Of course we are thankful for the extra couple months of family time, but on the other hand we have already been in "deployment mode" for a while now and we kinda just want to get it over with already. It's an emotional roller coaster to think he's about to leave, and then think we have more time, but also knowing it can all change again at the blink of an eye. This is the type of thing that drives me absolutely bonkers. I have no control over any of it!
Being an Army Wife is definitely challenging and there will always be situations that aren't ideal, but I don't regret a second of it. I am proud to support my hero and his career, and I will do whatever it takes to stand behind him.
I guess I should go buy some more pencils.
~Fluffy Girl~
I went through some very traumatic experiences when I was a teenager, but that is a different story for a different time...maybe. It's difficult for me to think/talk/write about it. But my point is, those experiences shaped me into the person I am today, which is a very strong woman who is also somewhat of a control freak. I can admit that. I don't like surprises, and it freaks me out to be in situations that I have no control over. As I have now learned, the military lifestyle is not easy for a control freak. I never know what the hell is going on or what will happen next.
Looking back, I now realize how unprepared I was and how little I knew about military life when I got married. Unless you grew up in a military family, it is impossible to have any idea how tough it is. All of the "unknowns" and "what-ifs" of military life make me a little crazy in the head sometimes. Between deployments, moving every couple years, field exercises, temporary duty assignments, 24 hour staff duty schedules, promotion boards, unit transfers, meetings, recalls, tracking soldiers, counselings, classes, constant phone calls and text messages, FRG functions, and everything else that soldiers do, it is really hard to keep track of whether he is coming or going sometimes.
Over the years I have learned one very basic and valuable lesson as a military wife:
ALWAYS write in pencil, because everything is subject to change.
For example, we just found out last week that the deployment has been postponed until the end of the summer. Of course we are thankful for the extra couple months of family time, but on the other hand we have already been in "deployment mode" for a while now and we kinda just want to get it over with already. It's an emotional roller coaster to think he's about to leave, and then think we have more time, but also knowing it can all change again at the blink of an eye. This is the type of thing that drives me absolutely bonkers. I have no control over any of it!
Being an Army Wife is definitely challenging and there will always be situations that aren't ideal, but I don't regret a second of it. I am proud to support my hero and his career, and I will do whatever it takes to stand behind him.
I guess I should go buy some more pencils.
~Fluffy Girl~
Monday, March 10, 2014
Wait, I'm not ready!!
So.....I am totally not ready for this half marathon on Sunday. I haven't run a single step in 15 days because I've been trying to nurse my IT Band, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
My entire winter training season has been hell this year. First it was shin splints/stress fractures in both legs, then I was laid out with a massive cold/sinus infection for almost 3 weeks, then my knee was bothering me, my thyroid disease has destroyed my energy level and is causing weight gain and major fatigue, and finally the IT Band injury reared its ugly head about a month ago. I'm really glad I made the decision to downgrade my race from the full marathon to the half marathon--there is absolutely no way I could have finished the full.
I'm still going to do the race on Sunday and hope for the best. The PR I was aiming for is probably not going to be possible, but I'm just gonna have to get over it. There will be plenty of other opportunities to reach those goals in the future.
Once this race is over, I'm really going to focus on just getting myself healthy again. The main factor that needs to be addressed is my thyroid disease because that is what causes most of my problems (weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, depression, hair loss, dry skin, etc etc). I'm going for a blood test this week to see where my levels are at for the first time since going on the new medication three months ago. I'm really interested to see the results and decide if I should stay on it or go back to the synthetic stuff.
As I am working on getting all of that under control, I'm also going to incorporate some strength training and pilates into my workout routine. I know I should have started strength training a long time ago to help prevent running injuries, but I didn't...and now I'm paying the price. Lesson learned!
It's amazing how much time, work and effort actually goes into being a runner if you do it correctly. It's more than just running--there's cross training, strength training, stretching, foam rolling, icing, finding the right running shoes and other gear, keeping your motivation, and then of course the actual running! And it is all totally worth it. Running has taught me to push myself in ways I never would have imagined before I started three years ago. I love it!
Stay tuned for a race recap after the weekend. Until then, happy running :)
~Fluffy Girl~
My entire winter training season has been hell this year. First it was shin splints/stress fractures in both legs, then I was laid out with a massive cold/sinus infection for almost 3 weeks, then my knee was bothering me, my thyroid disease has destroyed my energy level and is causing weight gain and major fatigue, and finally the IT Band injury reared its ugly head about a month ago. I'm really glad I made the decision to downgrade my race from the full marathon to the half marathon--there is absolutely no way I could have finished the full.
I'm still going to do the race on Sunday and hope for the best. The PR I was aiming for is probably not going to be possible, but I'm just gonna have to get over it. There will be plenty of other opportunities to reach those goals in the future.
Once this race is over, I'm really going to focus on just getting myself healthy again. The main factor that needs to be addressed is my thyroid disease because that is what causes most of my problems (weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, depression, hair loss, dry skin, etc etc). I'm going for a blood test this week to see where my levels are at for the first time since going on the new medication three months ago. I'm really interested to see the results and decide if I should stay on it or go back to the synthetic stuff.
As I am working on getting all of that under control, I'm also going to incorporate some strength training and pilates into my workout routine. I know I should have started strength training a long time ago to help prevent running injuries, but I didn't...and now I'm paying the price. Lesson learned!
It's amazing how much time, work and effort actually goes into being a runner if you do it correctly. It's more than just running--there's cross training, strength training, stretching, foam rolling, icing, finding the right running shoes and other gear, keeping your motivation, and then of course the actual running! And it is all totally worth it. Running has taught me to push myself in ways I never would have imagined before I started three years ago. I love it!
Stay tuned for a race recap after the weekend. Until then, happy running :)
~Fluffy Girl~
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
C'mon, Make Me Laugh
I have really been struggling lately with stress (hence my lack of posts the past couple weeks--my mind has been too pre-occupied) so I figured it's time to have a little fun.
I've been doing this blog for about five months now, and I want to learn about my readers. So let's play a fun Q&A game and get to know eachother. Just copy/paste the questions in the comments and add your answers. I'll even play along. Here we go!
These first few will be easy:
Where do you currently live? Yorktown, VA
What other places have you lived? Tomah, Wisconsin - Killeen, TX - Burkburnett, TX - Wichita Falls, TX - Newport News, VA - Yorktown, VA
What decade were you born in? 1970's
How many tattoos do you have? 9
Have we ever met eachother? If so, when/where did we meet?
These are fun:
Have you ever had a fake ID? Yes. I have no idea how it worked because the pic looked nothing like me, but it did! Fools....
If you had the option to go back in time and "start over" your life from the age of your choice, would you? If so, what age would you go back to and why? I thought really hard about this one. I don't think I would!
Have you ever had "an accident" in your pants? If so, you must share the story. I need a good laugh! Not yet, but I'm always afraid this will happen to me someday when I'm running!
If you could live the life of any sitcom character, who would it be? Rachel Green on Friends
Have you ever woken up somewhere odd, not knowing how you got there? I once woke up in my back yard (and I was 100% sober, by the way). I still have no clue how that happened! Good thing I didn't sleep nude :)
Would you rather:
Be puked on, or pooped on? Poop. I can't handle puke. I just can't.
Permanently remove your eyebrows, or have a quarter-sized face tattoo? Remove my eyebrows. As much as I like tattoos, I wouldn't want one on my face.
Be cold, or be hot? Ooohh, that's a tough one. Hot I guess.
Stay awake for 72 hours, or have no food for 72 hours? Stay awake. I would much rather be tired than hungry!
Know when you will die, or how you will die? When. If I know when, it's not going to matter how.
Well, that was fun....right? I can't wait to read everyone's answers!
~Fluffy Girl~
I've been doing this blog for about five months now, and I want to learn about my readers. So let's play a fun Q&A game and get to know eachother. Just copy/paste the questions in the comments and add your answers. I'll even play along. Here we go!
These first few will be easy:
Where do you currently live? Yorktown, VA
What other places have you lived? Tomah, Wisconsin - Killeen, TX - Burkburnett, TX - Wichita Falls, TX - Newport News, VA - Yorktown, VA
What decade were you born in? 1970's
How many tattoos do you have? 9
Have we ever met eachother? If so, when/where did we meet?
These are fun:
Have you ever had a fake ID? Yes. I have no idea how it worked because the pic looked nothing like me, but it did! Fools....
If you had the option to go back in time and "start over" your life from the age of your choice, would you? If so, what age would you go back to and why? I thought really hard about this one. I don't think I would!
Have you ever had "an accident" in your pants? If so, you must share the story. I need a good laugh! Not yet, but I'm always afraid this will happen to me someday when I'm running!
If you could live the life of any sitcom character, who would it be? Rachel Green on Friends
Have you ever woken up somewhere odd, not knowing how you got there? I once woke up in my back yard (and I was 100% sober, by the way). I still have no clue how that happened! Good thing I didn't sleep nude :)
Would you rather:
Be puked on, or pooped on? Poop. I can't handle puke. I just can't.
Permanently remove your eyebrows, or have a quarter-sized face tattoo? Remove my eyebrows. As much as I like tattoos, I wouldn't want one on my face.
Be cold, or be hot? Ooohh, that's a tough one. Hot I guess.
Stay awake for 72 hours, or have no food for 72 hours? Stay awake. I would much rather be tired than hungry!
Know when you will die, or how you will die? When. If I know when, it's not going to matter how.
Well, that was fun....right? I can't wait to read everyone's answers!
~Fluffy Girl~
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Can I Just Cry Now?
Super stressed lately. Here's a couple reasons why:
 |
| Please no. |
 |
| My baby telling me he didn't make Varsity soccer team after three stressful days of tryouts :( |
This is just two of the many reasons this week is kicking my ass. I'm emotionally and physically exhausted. I started this post with the intention of writing more, but this is all I have the energy for right now. Ugh.
Can I just cry now?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)