Christmas

On Christmas morning, Tina and I were awakened by Tim's voice asking, "Are you awake yet?". Tina hopped out of bed and began playing a game of Stratego with Tim while I slept for 15 more minutes. After I woke up we tried to begin a game of Parcheesi, but Mr.Jingles (our cat) curled on top of the box holding the game pieces and bit us when we invaded his personal space. We began singing Christmas carols and playing the piano until our parents woke up at 5:57 AM.  
Following tradition, I read the Nativity story out loud before my family began opening presents.
My favorite Christmas gifts included a Garmin GPS Forerunner watch (I screamed for joy about 5 times when I unwrapped it) and Jennifer Aniston perfume.
I almost nodded off a few times during the 11 AM church service since I had only slept for about five hours.



Peacock ring from my mom (:



Comfort Coffee

I don't just drink coffee for the caffeine. I drink it for the steam that rises toward your face as you lift up the thermos for a sip. The warmth when you wrap your fingers around the mug. The focus that it can bring when you have a pile of work to accomplish (as I do now).
Right now I am perched on my comforter with my dad's laptop (which I hijacked for my own use during this Christmas break). A green ceramic cup sitting on my nightstand holds my Colombia Supremo.
After reading my Bible and brewing my coffee this morning, my mind wandered, leading me to wonder where the Starbucks logo originated. Some of my friends have mused that she is a mermaid, while others have claimed that she represents a goddess from an ancient culture.
Well, I did some research, and it turns out that the zen-like green nymph is actually a siren. The same creature who sung sailors to their doom now reaches into the wallets of weary travelers on the highway, caffeine dependent students, and patrons of malls and shopping plazas.

http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/starbucks-logo.html

swimming in the rain

"I'm swimming in the rain, I'm swimming in the rain, what a glorious feeling I'm swimming in the rain".  To be sung to the tune of "Singing in the Rain".

This morning I walked to the gym with Tim and Tina. Sadly, the basketball court was occupied by daycare children and the racquetball court was already reserved for the whole morning, so they had to resort to ab and weight work.
Putting my watch-timer on for 3 minutes, I changed into my swimsuit in the womens locker room, used the bathroom, walked to the pool, and put on my swim cap and goggles before the timer went off. Skills. First it started drizzling, then pouring, as my muscles remembered how to swim freestyle again. It felt great to be engaging in a cardiovascular activity again- something that wakes you up and challenges you physically and mentally.

Christmas Break!!!

  I refuse to call this wonderful two-week hiatus from school a "winter break" with the same resolve that keeps me from calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree". For those intent on erasing any remnant of spirituality from our country's traditions, "holiday" is still translated into "holy day".   :p

Christmas "Break" Academic To-do List:

• Algebra II exam
• SEU essay
• Satire for AP Literature
• AP Lit. philosophy book pg.68-130 (about 3.5 pages per day)
• AP microeconomics powerpoint
• AP Art paintings

Recreation

• NAHS scrapbook
• Scrapbooking (mine has not been touched since 8th grade!)
• Sketching and photography, teaching my little cousins art
• Shopping for and wrapping Christmas presents
• heating and icing hamstring/groin pull, no running until Christmas
• swimming, strength training, leisurely walks

God bless you during this Christmas and New Year!

Christmas & Birthday Wish List

1. GPS watch
2. Platypus waterbottle 
3. Perfume: Jennifer Aniston or Estee Lauder's Pleasant Linens (Jennifer Aniston's fragrance is my favorite) 
4. Thorlos running socks
5. Yankz! shoelaces 

I also happen to love coffee, tea, stud earrings, cocktail rings (size 6), and running apparell...  (:

the pluck to play

"Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning; but give me the man who has pluck to fight when he's sure of losing."     -George Eliot

Three home games in a single week is enough to tire even the most stamina-infused high school athlete - after the game there are always homework assignments to complete and tests to study for.  Despite a grueling academic week and having tasted both victory and defeat in two previous home games, Tina came to her JV basketball game against Dillard completely focused and ready to fight. She had told me before the game that they would most likely be "stomped" by Dillard's JV team, but she wanted to enter the game with the mindset that anything could happen. The Lady Bulldogs had some tough factors going against them: Dillard had plenty of fresh athletes to sub in through-out the four quarters, while the two extra girls that usually gave relief to the Lady Bulldogs were injured and unable to play. By the end of the third quarter the Lady Bulldogs were tired, evidenced by their lowered arms and slower footwork. The score at the end of the game was 11-64.

Although Tina knew that this game would be challenging, and although the opposing team's high score by the second quarter was formidable, she kept her game-face on and refused to shrug off responsibility.

art show, advice, & basketball

 

Girl with Brands




Swirl



Two of my pieces were featured in the Mindflow exhibition put together by my school's National Art Honors Society. Another accomplishment to add to my college resume!

My advice to anyone in highschool, even middleschool, is to make a list of your talents/interests and find clubs/organizations that will allow you to put them into practice. However, beware of overloading yourself with more than two clubs. I have friends who are in five or more clubs - they are stressed out, stay up past 1 AM on a daily basis, and have a difficult time specializing on certain projects.

For example, I am in only one club (NAHS) since I am editor of the yearbook and run cross-country  and track.



All of this basketball is so time-consuming. This is how Mr.Jingles makes sure Tina stays put after a game.



On Monday, Tina's team won their first home game 11-12, with Tina scoring the final game point with a free throw. She just so happened to also score half of the other points as well.



Life is Good

Today was a jaw-dropping good day.  I woke up at 4 AM and went shopping with my wonderful mom and sister for clothes and Christmas presents. After leaving the mall, my sister and I drank chocolate milk and shared a platter of strawberry french toast while waiting for Nordstorm Rack to open at 8 AM. 
When we finally came back home around 9 AM, my dad took me to buy new running sneakers.
While eating lunch in the afternoon, my mom came into the kitchen with a thin black box in her hand. It had the two best words inscribed on the front - "You're in!". So I have been accepted to my dream school in Chicago. (:

It was such a good day that our refridgerator died from joy. Now my parents are doing something they never imagined they would have to do today - go shopping for a fridge on Black Friday.

Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, His love endures forever...

Thanksgiving

After two hours of cycling, wading/swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, and digging a 5 foot hole in the sand in order to bury my father up to his neck, my family went home to shower and prepare the Thanksgiving meal.

The apple cider brined turkey came out delicious - not soggy, not dry, perfect. The rest of the table held whole grain cornbread, mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, ciabatta rolls, green bean casserole, orange mandarin iced tea, sparkling pomengranate juice, and coffee.

After the meal Tina and I half-heartedly tossed a volleyball around in the backyard before taking a walk around the neighborhood.  I attempted to run, but the food digesting in my stomach held me at a waddling pace.

I jotted down a list of the things I am thankful for this year:

• God's Redeeming Grace: God's forgiveness of my sins and the many blessings he has poured upon my family make me acutely aware of how much He truly loves me despite my unworthiness. No matter what happens, I am secure in the hands of God.
• My Compassionate Family
• Physical Health & Strength

There are so many other things I am thankful for, and this verse reminds me that I should always keep an attitude of thankfulness.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.   Colossians 3:15

Family Times


After strolling around downtown Hollywood and looking for a restaurant my whole family could enjoy, I chose an Italian restaurant, Plazza de Pasta. By "chose" I mean that I took a menu from the smiling greeter, showed it to my mom, and asked for an outdoor table by the scenic intersection. I have passed by this restaurant numerous times, and have always been impressed by one of the greeters, a lady who seems to wear a different maxi dress every day. The best part of the evening was the group of acoustic guitar players on the outdoor patio of the restaurant. I must admit that I was initially worried that they might be Mariachi singers (who are on my list of phobias), but my apprenhension was dissipated by the fact that they weren't wearing sombreros or singing.
My mom ordered fried zuchinni and calimari for an appetizer, which Tina persuaded me to try. For those of you who have never eaten fried squid before, it tastes like breaded and fried rubber bands.

Cheesy focaccia

 

Kristina munching on her marinara pizza


 

Timothy sampling some of dad's pizza



Outlet from Injury

Collecting a cache of running related pictures from my Runner World magazines, I put some of my favorite photos on a corkboard hanging next to my bed. I made this one before cross-country season, and it is leaving me longing to run despite my pulled hamstring. I only ran 2.5 miles last week and am crawling up the walls.

In a rampage of resourcefulness, I began using a Starbucks coffee cup to hold colored pencils, with a brown mug holding paintbrushes.  Of course, a bowl-like cafe mug contains make-up essentials such as lip gloss, eyeliner, and mascara.

It dawned on me that God could be using my pulled hamstring to pull my heart closer to Him, to abide and trust in Him alone.

I Conquered the Intersection

Yep, that big, bad intersection separating my neighborhood from the park. I conquered it.  That busy cross-roads has kept me from enjoying a run in the park many times, but today I made myself sprint across the intersection like Usain Bolt was on my heels.  I guess that my greatest fear was a sense of stage fright on the intersection - I am unguarded from the eyes of those sitting behind tinted windows.
After this 5 mile tempo run (8:38 pace for the stat nerds), I feel accomplished and fearless.

Districts

 NOT a good end to my senior cross-country season. Nope. No way. My time went up by three minutes. That is huge. The worst part was probably watching the top fifteen girls receive their ribbons as their coaches and team members bursted with cheers and applause . I thought that God was going to strike me down with lightning because of the vast amount of envy that consumed me.  I cooled down on the bus by unintentionally taking a nap and dreaming about the day that I complete an Ironwoman and qualify for the Ironman race in Hawaii.  

 

Swimming in the A.M.

I followed through my resolution and woke up at 5 AM to go swimming in the gym's pool.  I arrived before it opened and did some "land" warm-ups and stretching while waiting for the lifeguards to arrive.  Once they opened the pool, a whole herd of thirty to fifty-somethings wearing colorful swim caps and speedos appeared. I shared a lane with a fit chick whose age was beyond me (swim caps are as effective as masks for covering identities) and who was super nice.  I have never been so self-conscious of my swimming stroke before - all of the adults were part of some swimming group/team thing and were flying across the lanes, showing off their butterfly and back stroke.  I lamely pulled myself behind them with my breast-stroke and swam in awe as they out-freestyled me.  At the end of 30 minutes, the lady that I was sharing a lane with asked if I wanted to swim with them - I smiled as I shook my head and said that I had to get ready for school. Heaving myself out of the pool I walked to the locker room for a quick shower and change of clothes.

five milers and glazed donuts

Doused with perspiration after a 5-mile run in humidity with my hoodie

I woke up around 5 AM this morning shivering cold, so I slipped on one my favorite UA hoodies and slept in until 6:30-ish . Upon waking up I grabbed my ipod, strapped on my pepper spray, and slipped on my sneakers before heading out the door. 10 mintues into my run, I observed that I was gathering a nice amount of body heat around my core. Arriving at the park, I noticed a large herd of runners reveling in a post-race gathering. I felt left out of the loop - I had no idea that there was a race going on at my local park. I ran around the course, smiling at the tired runners finishing their post-race cooldown. It was quite eerie running through a course after a race. One group of runners near my age wearing neon-colored sport bras gawked at my hoodie; I could imagine what they were thinking. "Is she seriously wearing a hoodie?", "It's like hot and humid out here".  I just smiled to myself and kept on running. By the end of my 50 minute 5 mile run, I was absolutely doused in perspiration, and when  I took off my hoodie to shower, I felt 3 pounds lighter. This light feeling lasted until Tina came back from her cello lessons with  glazed donuts, and I caved in to the saccharine "speed bump".

LEANPEAR TERMINOLOGY:
Speed Bumps: treats or extra servings that add pounds to your waist and slow you down. (i.e. donuts, pastries, chips, etc)

Indulgence: Occasional treat that prevents you from feeling deprived and have healthy qualities. (i.e. wholewheat banana bread, nonfat no-whip mocha)

FAU Impressions

Freshman dorms

FAU owl outside of the fitness & recreation center

Lap pool with sunning deck

*cue choir*

I became totally pumped to leave high school for college while touring FAU's Boca campus with my parents .  The communcations building was not that remarkable, but the fitness complex TOTALLY made up for it. My favorite features of the fitness center were definitely the fully stocked and clean gym, the pilates and spinning studio, and the lap pool.

FAU trumped UM when it came to the dorms. The dorms are liveable, freshmen do not have to share the same building with football players, and there were NO community bathrooms. That means only 2 to 4 people share a bathroom instead of 80 students jostling for 10 toilets and showers.

Absolutely Delicious

Proudly tottering in my 4-inch black heels for a grand total of 4 hours, I am well on my way to success in the fashionable world of high-heel-dom. However, I am extraordinarily wary of getting injuries like Achilles Tenditis from my newfound heights. I reason that if I avoid wearing flip flops in general and only don heels once or twice a week I should elude foot-wear related injuries.

Paola, who encompasses sweetness, intelligence, and glamour, held her birthday brunch at Brio Tuscan Grill, which surpassed all of my dining experiences. Most of the party ordered white chocolate raspberry french toast (including myself) after munching on the spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips. For dessert I ordered Tiramisu, which was delicious beyond description. It was light and not overbearing in either flavor or texture - It basically melted in your mouth.

 Tiramisu

Christina's molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream

 The coffee was interesting in that it tasted like two different grounds had been mixed together and was quite acidic. I usually do not put creamer in my coffee but made an exception in this case. Personally, I believe that every restaurant should offer brown sugar with coffee because it brings out the flavor in a more rich and aromatic way.  Besides the coffee and delectable food, I really enjoyed Paola's birthday gathering - I laughed so hard at one point that I choked on my water (embarrassing!)  (:

Cold front, Championships, FAU

South Florida has the singular national privelege of calling a drop to 60 degrees Fahrenheit a cold front. The 20 to 30 degree drop from summer temperatures is a welcome relief, allowing us to cast our worn shorts and tank-tops and sundresses aside. We can finally delve into our full fashionable potential, layering sweaters, pulling on long socks, and slipping on fur-lined boots. It is an undeniable fact of human nature that we dress better and look more classy when fall and winter arrive. Gone is the hair-frizzing humidity, energy-draining heat, and sticky sweat.

The weather during cross-country county championships was beautiful, with breezes and temps in the low 70s. This was a huge help in cutting down my time, and I set a new PR for my senior season, 24:30. Monday's long tempo run and Tuesday's hard speedwork also helped cut-down my time on Thursday.

When I came home from championships I found out that FAU accepted my application! So I've got my safe school down, now it's time to finish up my applications for my ideal universities. My dad wants me to go to Southeastern, a private Christian university with a reasonable price tag, great food, and a gorgeous campus. I am personally infatuated with Columbia College in Chicago, which is where two of my Tias live. My family says that I will change my mind after a week of their winter - I am a sun-basking South Floridian chick after all. (:

loca for my marble mocha

I finally visited Max at Starbucks to

1. Take his picture for the yearbook divider
2. Order a tall marble mocha

Just in case you are not much of a mocha maven, a marble mocha is a sweet elixir of half white chocolate and half regular chocolate coffee served in a crisp cup bearing the international symbol of amity.  (:

Crunching on a Kashi mocha almond bar (to be honest, about 3 bars) I went to Marshalls with my mom and Tina in the search for black heels to wear with my purple dress. Like all other shops, Marshalls sometimes  has wonderful apparel and accesories, while other times they have less than desirable designs. Marshall's prices, however, set it far apart from other stores. Why would I plop down $45 dollars for a shirt at the mall when I can find the same shirt at Marshalls or TJ Maxx for $15? In the end, we found an adorable and affordable pair of black pumps.

As I was surfing through the internet like the savvy nerd that I am, I came across a nonprofit organization called Girls on the Run. Coaches train girls from 3rd through 8th grade, helping them develop the self-esteem that they will need as they face "weight and food issues, stress, culture and peer pressure, and deceptive media/Internet imagery". Building a rampart against self-destructive behavior, Girls on the Run helps prevent the mutiliation of dignity and integrity that our society encourages among women.

Crunch Time

Weekend Warrior

• Edit College Application Essay
• Take Yearbook Divider Photo
• Algebra II online
• AP stuff
• Clean Kitchen
• Laundry
• Eat and Sleep