Fantastic Fridays

So I've decided since I'm really horrible at blogging consistently I should start theme that I can blog about weekly. Since Fridays are normally FANTASTIC (b/c it's the last day of work for the week), I decided I would blog about Fridays....b/c most of the time they are fantastic.

Today I woke up to "go to work," remember I'm in California right now with the All Army Triathlon team so "work" is a relative term. My office has literally been the transition spot from the swim to the bike for the last couple days. After meeting up in the parking lot, I took the team and their stuff out to the beach so they could get a practice ride in and swim or run the day before the race. Today (and yesterday) the Point Mugu Beach was my office. And let me tell you, if I had a view like that to sit in front of every day, I wouldn't mind waking up so much! While the athletes were training I got to just kind of hang out on the beach with the sand in my toes, music in my ears and God all around. I got to just hang out for about an hour or so with just me, my thoughts, and God. Not a bad way to start off a work day if you ask me!

As my athletes were coming back from their ride and transition either to the swim or run (they kind of do their own thing to prepare for tomorrow's race) I couldn't help but notice how fit they all are. It's a bit ridiculous actually. BUT very motivating. I am now going to do my first triathlon in VA this coming August with Amy and crew. :) We'll see how the 60 year old knee holds up (fingers are crossed) so maybe I can start competing more often and have something to train for. Lord knows, I'm terrible at aimlessly stepping onto an eliptical and getting a good workout in.

After they were done working out I had to take two of our team members to sign autographs at the NEX (Naval Exchange) as publicity for the triathlon they're competing in tomorrow. On the way back we grabbed some taco bell, which they can afford to eat being that they burn thousands of calories during their multiple workout day, and came back to the base to have a little picnic outside in the beautiful weather. Sound fantastic enough to make the "Fantastic Friday" blog yet?? :)

I'm now about to go workout myself and then meet the team for dinner. We're eating early b/c they want to go to bed at a decent hour (have I mentioned how much easier the triathletes are than the team sport athletes to keep under control??). So after dinner, I'll probably have time to make it back down to Malibu and hopefully get some pics when the sun is setting. But if not, I already have a bunch of awesome pics that I can't wait to post! Well, I'm off to the gym.

What a FANTASTIC FRIDAY...... :)

Here and there and back again...

Just real quick... I know I don't update this thing nearly as much as my siblings (sorry) but I'll try to start being better (really). So here's the scoop real quick on where I've been in the past month.

I went to Cocoa Beach FL the first week of May for work. Was there for a little over a week. CAme back to NOVA for a couple days and was off to the Outer Banks for a fun Memorial Day weekend (and then some) trip with 38 of my closest friends.... well a couple of my close friends, the rest are now new friends! Came back for no longer than 9 hours and then hopped on a plane to the wonderful state of California and landed in L.A. for work (rough life, I know). So I will be back on the 1st and will try and update pics of my trips. It's been a whirlwind of a time but it's been good to get away and travel some!

Well, gotta get back to work (in L.A.)... love you all!

Katie

Recap.... It's been a while

Ok, I'm not even sure where I should start with this blog and honestly, not sure if it matters. Its been so long since I've written that I'm sure people don't even check my blog anymore!! But here goes....

Some of you know that I was an asst coach for the Episcopal Women's Varsity Basketball team this year (which is part of my excuse as to why I haven't been blogging... not a lot of time). Coaching these girls was a lot of fun even though we weren't the most talented team. They were a G.R.E.A.T (gritty, respectful, enthusiastic, accountable, team oriented...our team acronym for the season) bunch of girls who worked hard and made me proud to be a part of that team. My schedule was pretty much insane during the season. We would practice at 330 or 530 so on the days we had early practice I was up before the sun and into work by 6! Any of you who know me, know that's a miracle for me!! :) Not to mention two games a week and other activities involved with the team. Our season ended in a heartbreaker... we lost by 1 point to a team that had beaten us previously pretty soundly twice. We really could've won, we just couldn't pull it off in the end. But the girls played their hearts out and obviously we showed tons of imporvement from the previous times we played Bullis. All in all, I really had a great experience and loved working with Danielle, head coach, my good friend from playing AAU bball as well as the players!

Another new thing in my life is this class that I've been taking. It's called Bikram Yoga and it is incredible! They heat the room to anywhere from 115-120 degrees and you practice yoga for 90 mins. I thought preseason at Western was hard (it was) but doing yoga in a 120 degree room is CRUCIAL!! But it is awesome... I love it and it's really doing a lot for me I can already tell and I've only been doing it for about 2 weeks!

Lastly but not least....I GOT A NEW CAR!! WoootWooot! I got a 2004 Infiniti G35 four door sedan!

Yes, I know I'm breaking every Scott tradition that I was brought up on by 1. getting a new car before the one I currently own is still running 2. getting a car that is not more than a decade old and 3. getting a luxuray car!!! But I love it! It's so cute and fun to drive.... AND... IT HAS A SUNROOF!!! I had to laugh b/c when I talked to Dad about getting a new car he said, don't get one with a sunroof. I said, why? He said b/c their nothing but a problem waiting to happen... I had to laugh b/c I thought to myself, the only sunroof dad has had in his cars is the 1970something volkswagon van, which you had to open manually like you use to roll up a window before power windows! I was like "Dad, of course that caused problems! It was like a hole in the roof, not a sunroof!!" Well dad, sorry I got the sunroof but once you ride in this car, you will agree that the sunroof is well worth the risk ;)

Well, at this point those are the major new things going on in my life! Hopefully I can get better at doing this more often but we'll see. Until next time.... loving life! :)

We are His BELOVED

Watch the whole thing!!!! It's really powerful :)

Soulja Boy

This is the new dance craze these days. I love the boy in the front and the girl in the middle! I'm sure it was an interesting conversation when these kids got home from BALLET class. I can see it now: Mom, "So what did you learn in class today, son?" Little Boy, "The Soulja Boy!!!!"...... And this is the Soulja Boy. Watch and enjoy!!!

Armed Forces Championship

I'm at the Men's Basketball Armed Forces Championship in Cherry Point, NC this week. For the ice breaker they had a guy come and perform a writing that he had put together... As I sat there and listened to this man chills ran over my body... I was thinking to myself, "this guy is good, he should perform at a coffee house or something. Well, look what I found today. He's on youtube and has been on Good Morning America and everything for this poem. Do I know talent or what!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BETZxl_itYg (by the way, if anyone knows how to put the video embeded in this blog let me know). I hope you all enjoy and realize that we should be thankful for the freedoms we have in this country! :)

Here are the words if you have a hard time understanding it all:
She called... Blacks, Whites...wait African Americans and Caucasians, Asians, excuse me. Vietnamese, Philipenes, Koreans and Jamaicans or Haitans, waitin' Hispanics y'all. Please be paitent Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Venezualean, Cuban, Dominican, Panamanian Democrats I beg your pardon, you partied with the late, great Reagan? Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters, Hindu, Sunii Muslim, Brothers and Sisters who never seen the New York city skyline when the twin towers still existed. But still She called. From the bowels of Ground Zero she sent this 911 distress signal. Because She was in desperate need of a hero, and didn't have time to decipher what to call 'em, so she called 'em all Her children. The children of the stars and bars who needed to know nothing more than the fact that she called. The fact that someone attempted to harm us this daughter who covered us all with her loving arms. And now these arms are sprawled across New York City streets. A smoke filled lung, a silt covered faced, and a solitary tear poured out of her cheek. Her singed garments carpets Pennsylvania Avenue and the Pentagon was under her feet. As she began to talk, she began to cough up small particles of debris and said, "I am America, and I'm calling on the land of the free." So they answered. All personal differences set to the side because right now there was no time to decide which state building the Confederate flag should fly over, and which trimester the embryo is considered alive, or on our monetary units, and which God we should confide. You see, someone attempted to choke the voice of the one who gave us the right for choice, and now she was callin. And somebody had to answer. Who was going to answer? So they did. Stern faces and chisled chins. Devoted women and disciplined men, who rose from the ashes like a pheonix and said "don't worry, we'll stand in your defense." They tightened up their bootlaces and said goodbye to loved ones, family and friends. They tried to bombard them with the "hold on", "wait-a-minute's", and "what-if's". And "Daddy, where you goin?". And, "Mommy, why you leavin?". And they merely kissed them on their foreheads and said "Don't worry, I have my reasons. You see, to this country I pledged my allegience to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic. So as long as I'm breathin, I'll run though hell-fire, meet the enemy on the front lines, look him directly in his face, stare directly in his eyes and scream, "I AM AMERICA! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED! I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID! I'LL FIGHT YOU ANY COUNTRY, ANY CONTINENT, ANY TERRAIN. I'LL FIGHT TO MY LAST BREATH!" And if by chance death is my fate, pin my medals upon my chest, and throw Old Glory on my grave. But, don't y'all cry for me. You see, my Father's prepared a place. I'll be a part of his Holy army standing a watch at the Pearly Gates. Because freedom was never free. POW's, and fallen soldiers all paid the ultimate sacrafice along side veterans who put themselves in harms way. Risking their lives and limbs just to hold up democracy's weight, but still standing on them broken appendages anytime the National Anthem was played. You see, these were the brave warriors that gave me the right to say that I'm Black. Or white. Or African American or Caucasian, I'm Asian, excuse me. I'm Vietnamese, Philipene, Korean, or Jamaican. I'm Haitan, Hispanic Y'all, Please be paitent. I'm Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezualean, Cuban, Dominican, Panamanian, Democrat I beg your pardon, you see I partied with the late, great Reagan. I'm Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters, Hindu, Sunii Muslim, Brothers and Sisters We're just Americans. So with that I say "Thank You" to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, for preserving my rights to live and die for this life and paying the ultimate price for me to be...FREE!

Deep Thoughts...

"For so long i chased fantasy he was too fast.... and i found love when i embraced reality."

(the original quote says "she" instead of "he" but I changed it for sake of my blog. And I don't know who wrote it, so don't ask... )
This quote or poem really hit me when I read it b/c it's so true not only of our culture today but of myself as well. I think in some way or another single people (and a lot of couples as well) have an "idea" of what love is supposed to look, feel and be like. Whether those ideas came from movies, tv shows or idolizing some couple you once saw that "looked" so happy, they are there and there's no denying them. We have expectations of love and if we don't realize that our love checklist might not be realistic we may chase this fantasy called love the rest of our lives. Obviously there are some must-haves that you should hold firm to. But maybe he won't have "a body like Arnold, with a Denzel face," those of you who know Salt 'n' Peppa from the 90's should appreciate that last line! lol. or maybe he isn't a handy man or maybe she can't cook... but she tries and that's what love is about. Love is embedded in reality, which is never perfect, but if guided through God's love, a million times better than all of our expectations... or fantasies. Not one of us will ever be able to love someone enough to make them whole or make them complete. We were made for more, more than any human relationship could ever give us but our worldly imposed expectations are what lead us to chasing these fantasies. Not until we "ebrace reality" will we find love and realize the depths of it's character and the power that comes from it's commitment. ps- I haven't blogged in forever, I know... Been busy, tired and just not motivated. Write about it all later! :)