Decluttering turns up treasure

As I was sorting through old school stuff (junk?) on the book shelves I came across a folder of assignments from one of the English classes I had to take as a pre-requisite for my program.  I found an assignment - a bucket list we had to do.  It had 100 lines and we had to fill in all of them.  I remember just coming up with stuff to get the lines filled in.  It was interesting to read it now, nearly 2 years later!  The first thing I wrote was - do an Ironman triathlon!!  (that won't happen this year or next!)  One of the things I wrote on this list has been on my mind since then and I am going to make it happen this summer.  The 5th thing on the list was - go flying with my Dad again.  My Dad is an airplane pilot and has been all of my life.  I've flown with him many times over the years.  When we were kids, we'd leave at sunrise and fly to Mackinac Island and spend the day and return before dark.  It's been many years since I've flown with my Dad.  My dad is now 75 and is still licensed but I know he won't be forever, so I want to fly with him again while it is still possible.  He does not own an airplane anymore but he does have access to several and does still fly quite often in the summers. 
Another thing I wrote on the list just for something to write was - collect all of the state quarters.  I remember writing that!  I actually did begin to collect them when that program first started and they released a new state quarter every 4 months or 6 months or whatever interval it was.  I know there is a little box around here somewhere with the ones I kept.  I have begun to collect them again!  It's more of a challenge now!  Funny thing - the first one I looked at had Mt. Rushmore on it and visiting Mt. Rushmore was the 3rd item on my bucket list!!  That was one of my serious entries as I have always wanted to go there.  I am definitely going to do it within the first 2 years after graduating.  In the same class, I wrote my informative essay on the history of Mt. Rushmore; I knew what it was but I never really knew how it came to be.  Since writing that essay, I want more than ever to go. 
Another item on my bucket list - number 2 - qualify for and run the Boston Marathon!!  If that's going to happen, I'm going to have to get back into shape and run a lot better than I do these days!!  I turn 50 this year but my qualifying time stays at 4 hours with the new changes.  Even if I did qualify, I'm sure it would be within a minute or two at the most so I'd have little chance of getting in anyway with the new order of registration procedures.  Oh well. 
I threw away most of the stuff in the folder but I kept the bucket list and the Mt. Rushmore paper. 

Runner Nerd
state quarter collector

Another semster in the books!

Took my last final exam on Monday so this semester is now over!!  I've been spending the last few days just goofing off and pretending that I'm not a college student!! I have to start another semester on Monday.
My teachers had posted the grades and I knew I had all 4.0 but today the grades were actually posted on my "report card".  I logged in and all I saw were FOURS!!!!!! 
I am such a nerd!!! 
Since my clinicals ended last Thursday, I was able to go to my Tuesday night running group this week!! 
I haven't been running much lately because I've been having some symptoms of planter fasciitis.  The worst thing ever was when I had to stand at clinical.  I could run around the hospital all day but as soon as I had to stand in one place for any amount of time, even a few minutes, my heel hurt extremely, horribly, unbearably bad.  (How's that for an overuse of adjectives!!!)  I won't have clinical this summer so hopefully I can get rid of this.  I may have to go to the runner injury clinic on the 1st Thursday of May. 
At least I am still a nerd! 

Runner Nerd
more nerd than runner

Twinkie race

Oh my! The things I must do for a good cause!! 
Today I participated in a race to benefit the ALS foundation (Lou Gherig's disease).  My Grandfather had ALS many years ago and died when my Mom was in high school.  This particular race takes place every year on April 1 no matter what day of the week it falls on.  I ran it 4 years ago on a Tuesday evening.
The idea is to get a minute deducted for eating a twinkie before and halfway though the race.  I got my twinkie and headed to the start line where you get a mark on the tear off tag of the race bib for eating the twinkie. I couldn't help but think that this is the only time you will ever see a bunch of runners eating twinkies!! 
The last time I ate a twinkie was at this run 4 years ago and before that, I estimate that it had been at least 25 years since I had eaten a twinkie.  My kids say they can't remember me ever buying them.  My son says he had eaten some in elementary school and my daughter doesn't think she has ever eaten one!
I remember 4 yrs ago I thought the twinkies were going to be soooooo good but they weren't!   This year there was a homemade twinkie contest.  I tried a couple samples of the homemade twinkies and they were really good!! 
After the race, a friend and I ran 3 more miles and got back to the main part of the park just in time for age group awards to given out!  We both got 2nd in our age groups!  There were also twinkie finisher medals! 

Will run for twinkies! 

Twinkie medal