Just Waiting

Allan is done with the application process for graduate school!  Now we wait!  At least 2 or 3 times a day I get asked about our future after graduation.  In case you haven't heard and might be interested, the schools Allan applied to include:

1.  The University of Georgia (Athens, GA)
2.  The University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)
3.  The University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN)
4.  The University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)

Hopefully he will start hearing back from the schools around March so we can decide where we will be living and I can start looking for a J-O-B!  Keep us in your prayers!  This is a big decision!

This past weekend we traveled to Byram.  Home Sweet Home.  There's nothing like being around people that love you.  I always feel so refreshed after spending a weekend with my family and church family at FBC Byram.  We took our nephew so he could get some play time in with my little cousin.  The weekend was filled with a baby shower, wedding shower, Cub Scout car race, and time with family and friends.  Saturday night my mom made tacos for some of my friends.  It was just like old times in highschool... hanging out at the Floyd house eating my mom's good food.  At the same time it was different because now we have a nurse, engineer, doctor, soon-to-be pharmacist, Appalachian trail hiker, and two additions (a baby and a husband).  I can't belive it's been almost 9 years since we graduated highschool!  I was so excited that Pooja got to come over too and meet everyone!  I love when friend groups can mix and have a good time. 

Half-marathon update:  I am now up to 10 miles!  My knees hate me, but I'm feeling good!

Run, Forrest, Run

In six weeks I will be running the Run for Hope half marathon in Oxford (God willing)!!  I signed up for it during a brief moment of insanity.  I kid.  Sort of.  I'm not gonna lie.. I hate running.  It makes me sweat way too much, my sinuses start flowing like Niagra Falls, and afterward my knees feel like that of a 90 year old.  I hope I am on point as far as mileage goes for training purposes.  I never really found a training guide that I liked online.  All of the BEGINNER guides expected you to be able to run 3 or 4 miles from day one!  Umm.. when I first started I could barely run a quarter of a mile.  I've come a long way since November.  Today I ran 6.5 and walked 1 mile.  I think over the course of 6 weeks I can manage to run at least 6 more miles.  I'm nervous because I haven't been running as much as I should have over the last few months even though I've been on break.  We start rotations back tomorrow and between them and working at the pharmacy in Walmart I'll only have about two days off out of every fourteen.  I'll just have to make time for running I suppose.  I think I can, I think I can!  I just wish I was faster!  I'm anticipating it taking me close to 3 hours to run 13.1.  Too slow! 

Momma and Daddy Santa brought me new Brooks for Christmas.  I love them and the people at Fleet Feet for helping me pick them out.  If you need some really good shoes visit them!  They watch you walk to see where you put pressure on your feet to help you pick out the best structured shoe for your feet.  They also recommend getting shoes one size bigger than normal to run in.  I love my new shoes.  They definitely make a big difference. 

A friend told me about gmap-pedometer.  This is such a big help when planning routes.  I previously had been driving around Oxford in my car clocking the mileage on my odometer.  Using gmap is so much faster and easier!! 

Random:  Ever since I've upped my mileage I have been craving bananas.  In the past, I have hated bananas!  I didn't like the smell or consistency.  Now I eat one everyday.  I guess my body really wants that potassium!

Pray for me people!  I'll definitely need it! 

San Francisco

San Francisco was amazing!!  We had a great time and saw so much in the three full days that we were there.  We started the trip off with a Tower Tour.  The first stop was Muir Woods.  The redwood trees were breathtaking. The tallest tree was 258 feet high, with the oldest being 1200 years.  I couldn't believe this National Forest was so close to such a big city. 

 Next stop, Sausalito.  We only stopped here briefly, so we grabbed lunch (fish tacos for me, fish and chips for Allan- YUM!) and admired all of the boats on the bay. 

Then, it was on to the Golden Gate Bridge!  I was so excited that we actually got to see it up close.  It was massive.  I feel for the locals that have to drive across it everyday being that the toll to cross is $6.00!  Unbelievable!!

Next, was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.. Alcatraz!  The tour was really interesting.  It was home to some of the worst and most dangerous criminals.  It was built to be impenetrable, but there were many escape attempts.  Only one attempt may have been successful.  The three men that escaped were never found.  Some think they drowned and some think they could be living in South America (all three men had been learning Spanish before their escape).  The prison closed in 1963 and was occupied by American Indians a year later to get the government's attention in order to save their tribes.  Not only was the history and mystery of the island captivating, the island was absolutely beautiful and there could not have been a better view of the city's skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, and Bay Bridge anywhere else in the area.

  

Wednesday, we hiked the hills of San Francisco to find "the crookedest street" (Lombard Street).  They constructed the street to be almost impossible to drive down in order to decrease the amount of traffic in the area, but of course, the opposite occurred.  Everyone wants to be able to say they drove down the crookedest street, so there are constantly people braving the curves!  We couldn't get the best picture, but this is what it looks like.  We continued on to Fisherman's Wharf via the cable car (so cute and fun).  This is a very "touristy" area, but it is totally worth the trip just to get ice cream in Ghirardelli Square and watch the sea lions sunbathe at Pier 39.  At times, up to around 200 sea lions can be seen at the pier.  No one really knows why they choose to congregate at Pier 39, but the tourists (like us!) love it!  That night we explored the downtown (Union Square) area and did a little shopping (H&M!!).  

Thursday, we rode a bus to see the "Painted Ladies" or "Postcard Row".  I love these Victorian style houses and the view from Alamo Square was worth the slightly sketchy bus ride there. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Chinatown.  I love my new sushi plates ($1/plate!!), chopsticks, and Pashmina scarf.  I've never seen goods priced so cheap.  If you go to San Francisco and want to bring something home, go to Chinatown!  We stumbled upon the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.  Cool, but strange (sort of what I would picture a sweat shop to be like?!). 

Finally, the reason we went-- The 1st Annual Supersonic Electronic Invitational at Spoke Art!  The show was really cool.  There was a lot of illustrative work and it was very different than work that I've seen in galleries around MS.  I loved both pieces Allan submitted for the show.  He sold the lego piece which was really exciting! The show was definitely a great networking opportunity.  We met some really great people and everyone was so nice and welcoming.  Everyone seemed amused that we were from Mississippi.  It was almost as if Mississippi was this mystical land that everyone had heard of, but didn't think actually existed.  Hopefully we represented our state well.  We remembered to wear our shoes!  =)

Hopefully, many more trips like this one are in our future!

Greens and Black-eyed Peas

Welcome 2012 and welcome to my blog!

This morning I woke up and decided I was going to participate in the southern tradition of making greens and black-eyed peas for a New Year's meal.  Until today, I didn't really know the history behind this tradition.  Apparently during the Civil War, Union soldiers destroyed or stole crops on Confederate land, leaving only black-eyed peas as the surviving crop (possibly because this crop was a major staple for cattle and slaves).   Hence, black-eyed peas became a major staple for the Confederate soldiers.  Today, black-eyed peas and greens on New Year's Day are eaten for good luck and hopes of a prosperous year.  Greens are the color of paper money and peas represent coins.  Sometimes, the cook will place a dime in the pot of peas and the recipient of the coin is said to have the best luck for that year.  Here's to a lucky and prosperous 2012!

I'm excited about my new blog!  Big changes and new experiences (including becoming a Pharm.D., a big move, Allan starting graduate school, etc) are coming this year and I wanted a place to document everything that happens so I can remember how awesome this year promises to be!  I can think of no better way to start 2012 than to take advantage of time off rotations and go on a vacation!  Some of Allan's work will be featured in the Supersonic Electronic Invitational at Spoke Art in San Francisco, CA.  We decided we would be crazy not to go, so we leave tomorrow!  I'll tell you all about it in my next post!