Sporadically Sandra

Joseph and I went to Florida for the weekend to visit some family. My cousin had graduated high school and my aunt and uncle were throwing him a party. My mother had used some of my father's hotel points to get us a Hotel room at the Comfort Suites in Tampa.
We arrived at the Comfort Suites around midnight on Friday night. Walking into the lobby, my first thought was, "Gee, our fore fathers puked up patriotism all over the place."


After checking in, I practically fell into bed already asleep without taking in any more of my environment… Girl was tired! The next morning I got up to take a shower and was startled by the ugliest sight I had ever seen: Me, under the worst fluorescent lights in the world. They managed to not only turn my ridiculously pale skin even more pale, but also slightly blue and green and every single blemish stood out in sharp detail. I don't even want to discuss what that awful light did to my wonderfully highlighted hair.

Ignoring the mirror as much as possible, I climbed in the shower to try and scrub off the ugly only to emerge and notice that the lights still sucked all the pretty off my face.

Not even applying make up appeared to help with the horrible lighting so I woke Joseph up as I turned on every light in the hotel and opened the curtains in the hopes to get enough normal light to use the mirror in the room. If I sat on the dresser and tilted my head just right, I got enough light to discover the pretty.

I returned to the bathroom to dry my hair, and not even fluorescent lighting could combat freshly applied makeup. I snickered at the tag for the hair dryer.


I know that this is a common warning but apparently today I'm easily amused. Keep away from water? Well, I can keep it away from pools of water but I'm afraid if I keep it away from water then I won't be able to actually dry the water out of my hair. I'll just use my tagless dryer that doesn't deter me from putting it near water.

There were two good things about that room though. The first: the full length mirror was made to make me look skinny. And second: a/c that I could crank up and not have to worry about paying for.

I know you see somehow the world will change for me


And be so wonderful
Live life, breathe air I know somehow we're gonna get there
And feel so wonderful


I will make you change your mind
These things happen all the time
And It's all real
I'm telling you just how I feel


So, wake-up the members of my nation
It's your time to be
There's no chance unless you take one
Take the time to see the brighter side of every situation


Some things are meant to be
So give your best and leave the rest to me
(Lyrics from iCarly theme show. I don't care who you are, that show is funny)

I remember graduating high school and knowing that I wanted to go to school for psychology. Then I changed it to marketing. Then to Business Administration. Then I decided I couldn't stand going into student loan debt when I couldn't even figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

It has taken me a long time to realize that I don't have to be passionate about my career. I don't want to be defined by my job. I don't want to be a high powered exec, I don't want to be a Dr or an academic. I just want to be able to follow my passions.

I work so that I can afford to have an enjoyable life. I enjoy it well enough, some days I love it, some days I hate it, but it always ends after I put in my eight hours. I have a great boss and great co-workers and get to deal with some amazing people, but at the end of the day it is only a job. It is not what I'm passionate about.

It's only been in the past few months-year that I've really come to understand that I don't have to adore my job, I don't have to be passionate about it, because what I am passionate about, I can explore on my own time.

I love writing.

I love writing this blog. When I'm stressed about losing weight, I bring it here. When I'm so excited that I can barely contain myself, I get to share it. When I am inspired, I can try to inspire others. It helps me hold myself accountable in the things I want to achieve whether it has to do with eating right, exercising or being a better person.

I love writing original stories. I don't share a lot of how much or what I write because I am so self conscious of it, but I love it. I can sit for hours, putting to paper (or Microsoft Word) the story playing in my head. I'm almost never bored because I am always thinking of what is going to happen next. It's hard work to put what's in my head in words but when it is *just right* it can be so rewarding.

So, I might not be passionate about my work, but I work hard so that I can be passionate about my writing. I refuse to *need* to find immense satisfaction in my job to find satisfaction in my life. I have yet to figure out what I really want to do that could earn me enough money so that I could pay my day to day bills but I've figured out what I really want to do to simply make me happy and that is enough.

Life isn't always about following your passions, most of the time it is about fulfilling the status quo, but it should always involve having enough time to follow your passions.

Tucked away in downtown Villa Rica, Georgia on a little side street that most people would never venture down unless looking for a specific store, is a cute and cozy used bookstore named Books by Design owned by a good friend of mine, Tiffany.

Upon entering the bookstore, you are going to notice that there is a great and never ending selection for all genres, so anyone who enters is bound to find something they might enjoy. Each shelf has at least one book, if not more, on display to showcase some of the most interesting selections in each category. Books don't just sit on shelves in this bookstore as the Design element is on display when you notice that some books are sitting on a step ladder turned bookcase, discount childrens books filling up a small toy chest and the most adorable welcome sign made from a (used) book.

If you are lucky and visit on the right day, you might get to meet the store puppy, Doodle, who is always ready to welcome patrons with a cute puppy face and some tail wags.

Stolen from Books by Design facebook

Now, let's talk about buying some books. Before you fill up your bookcase with some new (to you) books, you need to make some room. Well, bring those used books with you to get some store credit. Then, peruse the selection, take your time as you chat with the owner who is always ready for a suggestion or two depending on your reading preference. After choosing your books, use your store credit to pay for up to 50% of your total purchase and then pay off the remainder with check, cash or credit card (but not Amex, boo hiss!)

See that book in the top left, Baseball A Celebration, retails for $50 brand new. Now take a look at all those books, notice that over half of them are hardback and be surprised that for $40 I got 9 books in great condition, less then the cost of the one book brand new. Three of the books were recommended because of previous books I liked and because of the reading mood I was in.

However, life isn't all about books and that is where this place will really blow you away. Tiffany, having graduated from UGA with a degree in interior decorating offers her decorating services to those in need. Her creativity is on display all over the store from the welcome sign, to the book genres signs to the way she decorates for holidays. But, we still aren't done, Tiffany also offers tutoring and is currently offering  Tuesday Tune Up Tutoring to keep your kids from forgetting everything they know over the summer.

So, if you are on the West side of Georgia and have some time to spend, go visit Books by Design; a place where you are greeted with a smile, remembered each time you visit and find some great savings on some great books. You won't be sorry for getting caught up in the books and the southern charm.

Books by Design - 113 South Candler Street, Downtown Villa Rica, Georgia - 770.823.8763 - http://www.booksbydesignvillarica.com/

I think I wrote monthly goals once before. I don't remember if it went down well or not, but that's no reason not to try again, right?

Goals for June:

1. Get to week 5 of Couch to 5k
I've been stuck on week 3 for *how* long now? First a hip injury, then a closed gym. Well, the hip is better and the gym is reopened and I redid a day of week 3 today and it was awesome!

2. Complete 3 weeks of GSP Rushfit
Um, life gets in the way sometimes. But I really need to do this. It is great strength training for me and an awesome all over body workout. Plus, I need to spend more time with my boyfriend

3. Close on my house
Did I mention I'm in the process of buying a house? If everything goes well, I close on the 24th.

4. Move to my new house
Any strong men with trucks want some free beer and pizza to help me move houses?

5. Not kill my herb garden
I think this is my third year growing an herb garden and so far I've gotten exactly ZERO herbs from it. I killed a cactus once, true story.

6. Stay OP and track Everything
'Nuff said about that.