Dog Tired.

Sleeping.

Cleaning.

Reading.

Studying.

All the things I should be doing right now.

BUT... I pulled a rather successful 12+ hour day today with no real break in between it all, so I feel like I can take a minute and pour the last, though little, of my daily energy into post. A post, you see, about essentially nothing; but only because it would take far too long to explain everything.

All in all, I'm surviving better than previously mentioned. My calendar is in better order, my routine is becoming more familiar, and I've started taking steps in a forward direction with my projects and plans (the "right" direction is debatable, but I'll pretend forward is a positive movement). I suppose I'm better off than where I was at this point in either of my AmeriCorps terms. I just hope I'm strong enough to tolerate the swell of chaos that is a typical semester in higher education. My days are already so long and by the time I return home my body practically screams to jump into bed. Not conducive when you have, say, 150+ pages of reading for the next assignment.... blargh.

I'm hoping to devote time to a more proper post in the coming days after a few things have been turned in and the Labor Day weekend provides a much needed extension to my goal of "catching up." For now, I have some very sassy puppies waiting for some snuggle time after leaving them in the apartment all day....

I'll make it out one way or another. Maybe I just need a pat on the head and a rub of the tummy... always seems to make my silly pups happier!

Naked, Scraggly Toes.

All I want to do is paint my nails. My toe nails, to be exact. I haven't even made the slightest attempt to primp my pedi-digits since my 4th of July vacay back in Hilton Head... and I'm beginning to think it's still going to be a while before my tootsies get some lovin'.

Allow me to explain:

For as long as I can remember, I've used the status of the paint on my toes to gauge the current craziness that is my life. Freshly painted or at least still fairly shiny toes makes me feel like I've got everything under control. Chipped or jagged edges mean I'm doing okay, but I could probably use a sit-down for a touch-up. Big chunks of paint missing leads to me a more necessary time-out to strip the old stuff off and apply a brand new painted coat. And nearly naked toenails with only specs of nail polish? Lord help me - I've fallen apart.

It's not a vanity thing. I don't know why I feed off the compulsion, but I do. Maybe it's because I always notice my toes at some point during day, for whatever reason. Perhaps it's something I know I can control: the color, the shine, the detail if I want.... I really don't even care about the "pedicure" as a whole, just enough to where I think I'm not a total rag-a-muffin. Either way, I've obsessed over making sure that, if nothing else, I'll always be ready to hit the day with pretty feet.

I've definitely reached the point of pathetic paint-speckles, and I've definitely come to the conclusion I've bitten off more than I can possibly chew for this semester. And I've only officially been "on the job" (err, "jobs"... and school?) for a week. I just feel like I haven't had a chance to sit down, catch my breath, and put all the pieces together. The transition from life as an AmeriCorps member in Charleston and into my new one as a grad student (plus some!) happened entirely too quickly. I haven't sunk into a routine. I'm not settling in or getting comfortable with my new life or even my new surroundings. I thought I was at a total advantage for coming back to a place so familiar - but it's so different somehow. I'm devoting a ridiculous amount of time to things I didn't know existed a week ago, and I've embarrassingly neglected many of the things I set out to do before I even moved back. Worse, I haven't given proper priority to those who so generously gave it to me.

So, if I say "no" to you or have to take a rain check (I have a feeling I'll be racking up plenty in the near future), please don't take it personally. I just don't believe in half-assing (it's a word!), and that's the exact path I'm fearing through the next semester.

And who suffers most from my ambitious ego?

My poor toes.

So why do I bother writing a blog post and simply not just take the time to sit and paint and dry my little piggies? Well, now it's reserved for the moment or day or frame of time where the light finally goes off, something clicks, and I'm able to make sense of the mess I've gotten myself into. There's no turning back, and I refuse to let anyone down. Except, well, the very phalanges that support me through all of my (pun alert!) walks of life....

And in the meantime, I'll be wearing close-toed shoes as much as possible.

She Wears So Many Hats (and Wishes for the Many Matching Shoes)

Though I've been in Columbia for a week now, tonight's my first real night in my new apartment. After a whirlwind move-in from Columbia to Charleston and back (post three days of intensive fitness training), I ended up having a slew of new things fall in my lap... which didn't lend well to the whole unpacking bit, so I bummed at John's place an extra couple of nights until I could take my apartment out of disarray. And today, I tackled the many boxes and bags holding pieces of my life and arranged them into the bigger piece that is my new chapter. I think it's starting to come together.

Prior to today's effort to attack unpacking with brute force, here's the latest in what's happened over the last week:

- I completed the initial phase of training to become a certified Les Mills Body Pump instructor. It was a grueling three days (at 9hrs each day!) of weight lifting through squats, lunges, bicep curls, tricep dips, chest presses, and SO much more (and don't get me started on the actual lecture/learning portion... I could definitely tell I hadn't been a "student" in a while). I still have a lot of work to complete to become an official instructor through the program, including: memorizing and being able to execute the choreography of a 60min class, exemplifying proper technique and musicality, acting as a motivating coach, and basically being a super duper awesome instructor. I have a couple of months to really practice for my evaluation, but as we all know... nothing good comes from procrastinating.

- I scored a position as a graduate assistant for USC's Green Quad & Learning Center for Sustainable Futures... and my inner dork is going WILD. I'll serve as a TA for an undergrad class centered on efforts to go green and implement sustainable practices; the class is for in-coming freshmen (mostly honors or in other special programs), and I'm even more thrilled that they signed up to be in the class on their own volition... as in, they actually want to BE in the class. It's such a relief to think that, for once, I'll be dealing with folks who actually applaud innovative ideas and at least take the time to talk them through. And my experiences in organizing, health, and fitness all lend well to this experience. I can't wait. More to come. =)

- And, it has finally happened. I'm reporting live from my very own MacBook Pro. His name is Sawyer Roswald Pennington the First, and he's everything a new Mac Mama could want. For you LOST fans, you should get the "Sawyer" reference. For those that don't know, the character from one of my favorite shows and my new laptop share similar qualities: they're smart, sleek, powerful, and most definitely nice to look at.

- School kicks off in 48hrs. I haven't read anything, much less even bought the books. I hope I'm not already behind.

Breakdown: I'm going to school full time for my M.A. in Public Administration while acting as a grad assistant in the USC Green Community and working/assisting/studying to be a fitness instructor through campus recreation and be certified in multiple teaching areas.

Capiche?

Oh, right. AND: Getting down for Tracy's wedding this weekend (whoop whoop!), attending as many Gamecock football games as possible, sneaking in many overdue lunch dates with Columbia folks, and continuing to enjoy the fact that John and I live 1.3mi away from each other.

I'm exhausted already.

My days are booked from here on out.

But I've never. been. happier. =)

All you Charleston peeps, I expect your visits soon!

The Season Finale.

My office is now a far cry from the stacks of paper, note books, and coordinated pink office supplies it was throughout this past year. Yesterday afternoon I packed everything up and stripped my walls of cards from friends, letters written by my mentees, and drawings by some of my favorite after school kids. It's empty. But more importantly, the bags I used load up my AmeriCorps life are full -- full with stacks of notes that may come in handy with my new life as a grad student; full of crayon sketched art with "To Miss C" written on them; full of the bits and pieces of events and meetings and the totally random moments that defined my year of service... to say the least, it's a little weird.

While I anticipated writing a full-on, blowout, make-you-go-running-for-a-box-of-tissues kind of post, I haven't had that wave of bittersweet emotion that is "farewell" hit me just yet. Perhaps it's that Charleston is only a couple of hours away from Columbia, so I feel like I'm always "just down the road" if a trip to the Lowcountry strikes my fancy. Maybe it's that I literally have no down time and go immediately from one chapter to the next with no break in between. Or, even more, maybe it's because I've come to terms with my need for change and feel totally complacent in my decisions. So far... everything is simply starting to work out.

As nostalgic as I already am, I'm so ready to move forward; I feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do here (and more!), and I've never felt so focused and ready to tackle what comes next. I have full intentions of creating the obligatory "what I'm going to miss most" post... but for now, know that I'm running at 100mph for the next couple of weeks straight, and I couldn't be happier.

Next up:

- After work place farewells, it's off to one last "hoorah" (I've had about 10 in the last two weeks,

ha!) with the Improv folks... then, booking it to Columbia tonight.

- Three-9hr days of NON-stop fitness training beginning tomorrow... SO excited!

- One last 24hr "swoop" to clean/finish packing my Charleston digs.

- Back to Cola for Tracy's bachlorette par-tay... here's to hoping I have enough energy to not pass out after a much needed drink with faaaaaabulous gal pals.

- More fitness training/orientation!

- Grad school/MPA orientation.

- Classes start!

- Then off to VA for Tracy's wedding... can't wait to see those crazy kids tie the stinkin' knot already!

WHEW! Hurricane Celia is on the loose!

All in all, I keep saying I'll get to things once "life slows down"; but if there's one thing I've learned this year is that Life only speeds up, and sometimes you just have to DO IT. In the meantime, I could definitely use a little motivation... you know where to find me. =)

Ready? Set... ONWARD!