#kinda a continuation to my previous jen post

[elden-hicks]

kristen loste is everything jennifer pleasant could've been if comphet didn't exist

[jaydonsjam]

Man-Thing IV

Here we are again to talk about Man-Thing! This time around I’ll be talking about Adventure Into Fear #19 and Man-Thing #1! So in case you haven’t checked out my previous Man-Thing posts, I have loved Adventure Into Fear thoroughly and Steve Gerber along with Val Mayerik have been an awesome creative team. Man-Thing has jumped up the list of my favorite Marvel characters. I have a lot more Man-Thing to read before I can say with full confidence but this definitely gives Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf By Night a run for their money. I started this blog by posting my thoughts on Doctor Strange which I loved by the way (don’t worry I’ll be talking about more of his comics when I get to him in this massive Marvel comics reading order list I have). This storyline gave me the Doctor Strange vibes that I have been missing. I’ll go ahead and say it: this is my favorite Man-Thing storyline so far. Let’s get into it!

Adventure Into Fear #19

(Adventure Into Fear #19 and Man-Thing #1 were written by Steve Gerber and pencilled by Val Mayerik and inked by Sal Trapani)

This issue begins with a battle happening in a dreamscape with all kinds of warriors both with swords, bows, guns and tanks etc. Man-Thing is just watching it all go down. Then dressed in her Zhered-Na sorceress garb, Jennifer finds Man-Thing and takes him by the hand and leads him up a light bridge before she wakes up screaming. I absolutely love how this issue starts and the dreamscape reminded me of something we might’ve seen in a Doctor Strange comic. I loved the light bridge that led to a castle in the sky and just everything about the art. The use of pinks and blue backgrounds just made it feel like a dream. I still don’t like the sorceress garb that Jen wears. It doesn’t scream sorceress at all. Plus the bikini armor just isn’t practical and protects you against nothing.

If you thought the beginning of the issue was weird, well, a warrior named Korrek is spawned from peanut butter and we get the first appearance of Howard the Duck. I’m telling you, this was so weird but it felt so right. Korrek tries to kill Jen in her bed but when he sees Joshua and Andy, he leaps out the window because he was “outnumbered”. Yeah, Korrek is kinda dumb but he becomes lovable by the end of the first issue of Man-Thing. Dakimh the Enchanter shows up and wants to take Jen as his apprentice and he also drops a lot of exposition. Josh and Jen agree that she should go with Dakimh so they leave! It turns out that reality and all it’s dimensional planes of existence are folding into each other causing weird stuff to happen and could lead to the destruction of reality if not stopped and it also ties to the construction crews tearing up the swamp. Idk some of it went over my moronic head.

Korrek tries to fight Man-Thing in the swamp but every swing with his sword just doesn’t work so he gives up. Then Howard the Duck shows up and they go to the construction site and see all out war with demons and the construction workers. This is so weird but hilarious amounts of fun are had. Jen and Dakimh in the other realm is attacked by the Overmaster’s army being led by Akilla. Dakimh flees and Jen is captured. This felt like when you had a bunch of different toys and you’d have a big battle with them. I do like Jen so I hope she continues to learn how to use her magic powers and hopefully becomes a full-fledged sorceress. She’s probably my favorite supporting character from the comics I’m reading (although I really like Taj). Dakimh who I didn’t care about before has become a much better character and I do enjoy having a Merlin type wizard in this book. Man-Thing is weirder than I expected and the more issues I read, the more I want a team-up with Doctor Strange.

Man-Thing #1

We continue with Man-Thing! Dakimh left Jen to bring Man-Thing, Korrek, Howard back to the Nexus of All Realities to save Jen. Meanwhile, the Congress of Realities who serve the Overmaster are waiting for their master to arrive before they kill Jen. Overmaster looks like your traditional politician which made me laugh. I don’t know what I was expecting the dude to look like, it wasn’t a man in a suit and tie. Before they execute her by firing squad, DAREDEVIL AND BLACK WIDOW swing in from a dimensional opening in the ceiling and prevent them from firing before they fall into another portal and are never seen again.

Jen suddenly turns to water and leaks between floor boards and rematerializes in front from Dakimh and the other three. They need to realign the Nexus so they jump onto a dimensional path where Howard falls into the nothingness but at least Dakimh gives Korrek a cool looking helmet. They find themselves in Therea but Overmaster and his army are right on their heels. Overmaster reveals himself to be Thog the Nether-Spawn and engages in a final fight with Man-Thing. Man-Thing tosses Thog into the magical water and it drains him of his red color to where he becomes gray and frozen on his knees. It was a cool effect and I feel like we had been building towards this since the 11th issue of Fear. The best reveal comes next when our heroes meet the gods of Therea and they turn out to be two dogs. Cutest moment is when Man-Thing pats the good boy and they are transported back to the swamp. I love this book.

Overall I really enjoyed this story arc and I hope we go weird like this again. Mayerik absolutely kills it on the art here and I just found it so engaging. I don’t mind coincidental endings or moments as long as the writing is up to the task and Gerber’s writing is great. We started off Man-Thing with a bang and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Thanks for reading and next up is the first issue of Defenders!

[jejciu]

GIVE ME A TED TALK ABOUT MIDGROUND!!! I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT!!! WAHTS THE PLOT!! WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS!!! WHAT IS YOUR FAV PART OF IT!!!

oh i did talk about the plot and characters enough times but i dont think ive ever mentioned which part is my favourite!!!!!!!!!!! (btw if ur reading this and uv only followed me recently, here is my first post about midground that explains basic stuff. its from over a year ago but yeah. i do post more than plenty text posts in my midground tag tho)

if i would have to go with choosing one out of four parts, id definitely go with 4th. i mean, theres a lottttt going on there, instead of that ‘’one demon per chapter’’ kinda stuff, like in the first two and partially 3rd one, as well. but anyway, part 4 is so much fun because:

1) for all the three previous parts, i was only focusing on demons/ghosts/evil stuff in general, and now it was fun coming up with angels!!!!!!!

2) i like the ongoing dilemma of part 4, which is like..... “so should we even be exorcising or not??? are we actually fulfilling creator’s will by doing it or are we playing god ourselves???” and stuff like that. 

3) also, i loved writing flashbacks SO MUCH. first two chapters r about how they all became friends when they were ~14, starting with mercy moving to brackenridge (i mean, it was actually supposed to go to book no.3, bc its last chapter is called ‘’rest in peace mercedes clifford, part 1′’ and then i moved part 2 to the other book so like HHDSFSGD....... truly DUMB OF ASS...... whatever tho titles dont matter). i kept rewriting the first one especially so many times bc it was just SO fun ugh

4) coming up with the explanation of why does all this shit happen in brackenridge was also fun. ive had like, 4 a bit different endings written, rn im not 100% sure if im staying with the one i left for now, but im not in a hurry and i would love to explore more slightly different resolutions. well, i cant change much, bc theres a lot of reocurring stuff, like mostly all this lilianne stuff (the only other person who went to hell & came back alive)

5) I GET TO WRITE AN EPILOGUE!!!!!!!! like, about how theyre all in their mid-20s and all that stuff. i already have all the details planned and how their lives would look, but i want to leave writing it for the very end, u know...... as a treat.

6) last but not least............ i really, really, REALLY loved writing the characters, having in my head the comparison with book no.1. their personalities changed a lot, and so did my vision, and in a way, its kinda moving. plus i really loved giving them happy endings. gave jen a gf and nico a (future) bf. gave clay a job instead of forcing him to continue education which was clearly making him miserable right from chapter 1 of first part (and which i also had a chance to highlight with the flashback). and got rid of mercy’s curse too. it felt nice and rewarding, since i did torture them quite a bit before :-/

sorry if this got a bit too long!!!!!!!!!!! and sorry it took me a bit to reply. but thank u so much for asking, i really really really really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[the-lupine-sojourner]

Meeting the Bakusquad [Eijiro/OC Commission]

I got another commission! :) This time from the super sweet @asrasdarling​. They are a pleasure to work with, and this prompt is a fun one. 

Now, their OC is something of a self-insert, which is kinda what mine are lol. 

Anyway, Asra asked for a Kirishima X OC piece where the OC isn’t from UA, but is Kirishima’s girlfriend, and how he introduces her to the Bakusquad. I thought that was a super cute, fun prompt and eagerly accepted! 

Only thing is I’m not terribly dirty-minded, so I might not have been able to fully capture your OC, Asra, but I hope you like how I portrayed Jenna!

Sorry it took so long!

As always, if you want your own Commission, please look over This Post Here about pricing and how I do my commissions. 

One last thing; word count, as usual. This piece sits at 3026 words. 

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we? 

God Bless and Good Day!

~The Lupine Sojourner

(Thought this GiF was super cute! (: )

Jenna ran along the hall, eager to get to class before the bell rang, before she crashed into someone, leaving them both on their butts on the ground, whatever had been in their arms spilled out between them. 

Jenna looks up and sees a boy with black hair and red eyes, blushing in embarrassment as he offers her a hand up. 

“S-sorry!” He murmurs. Jenna is tugged to her feet quickly and she dusts herself off.

“Hey, no big deal. Take a breath.” She advises, picking up her stuff as quick as she could. It’s then she takes another look at him and realizes she may know him. “Hey, you’re Eijiro, right?” She asks. He nods, seeming to recognize her, too. 

“Yeah, that’s me. We have English and Science together, right?” Jenna nods. 

“Yup!” They finish grabbing their things and face each other. “Speaking of, we should go.” 

Eijiro nods. “Yeah, or we’ll be late.” They walk together, neither speaking. 

The classes went by quickly and soon enough it was lunchtime. All day, Jenna had struggled to focus on classwork, but her mind seemed drawn to Eijiro. He seemed like a nice kid, but she didn’t know much about him. 

Jenna liked mysteries. And so, she sought him out for lunch. 

“Hey, this seat taken, hot stuff?” She asks, winking for good measure. 

Eijiro spits out a bit of his drink. “I-I’m sorry?” He asks, blushing a little. Jenna laughs. He was cute when he blushed. She bet he was easy to tease.

“I asked if this seat was taken.” She decides against continuing to flirt with him...for now.

“Oh, uh, it isn’t. Feel free to sit.” Eijiro replies politely. 

The pair share a decent lunch, and that seems to be that. 

=#=#=#=#=

 Since that first encounter and lunch, Jenna had decided she was going to pursue Eijiro.

Thus began a series of flirtatious remarks and awkward, unsure responses from Eijiro. 

Jenna liked seeing him blush. She knew it was childish and that she should simply make her intentions known, but they were still in middle school. It’d be a bit weird to start dating right now, even if they were nearly graduated.

Or so Jenna told herself. “Hey, Eiji! Wait up!” She calls, shaking herself out of her thoughts and running after Eijiro.

He turns. “Oh, hey, Jenna. What’s up?” 

“Which high school are you going to?” She asks. Eijiro suddenly seems incredibly nervous, paling and scratching at the back of his neck. 

“We-well, I, uh, haven’t decided.” He explains. 

“Didn’t you say you wanted to try for UA?” 

“I did, but, you know, it’s a really big school, and super hard to get into, so I guess I’m just keeping my options open.” Jenna nods. 

“Makes sense. Race you to the bus stop!” She cries, running after him. He laughs, forgetting his previous insecurity for a moment, and chases her, easily winning. Jenna was a little surprised. 

“You been working out or something?” She asks. 

“Yeah. I do want to- -I am still tossing around the idea of being a hero, so…” Jenna frowns. He seems off somehow. Unsteady and unsure, which was so unlike him. 

Normally, Eijiro was the kinda guy that knew what he wanted and would do what it takes to get there. 

Now, it was like he was afraid to say he changed his mind, but still having second thoughts. 

“...You okay, Eiji?” Jenna asks. “You don’t seem your usual self today.” Normally, she’d have made some flirty remark, but this seemed serious, so she knew better. 

“Y-yeah, never better.” He mumbles. Jenna huffs. 

“And I’m All Might.” 

“I’m serious, Jenna. Leave it alone.” There was no fight in his words. There wasn’t much emotion, either. There was just...nothing. 

“Ei, I’m serious.” Jenna murmurs, hands on her crush’s shoulders. “You can talk to me.” 

“I’m fine, Jen, just please go!” There were tears in his eyes. Jenna decides to take a different approach. 

“Alright, alright. Text me later?” Eijiro nods mutely and walks away as soon as Jenna’s hands let go. 

“...sure.” 

As soon as Eijiro was gone, Jenna pulled out her phone, typing up a search for the latest local news. Scrolling down just a little, she saw that there had been a villain incident just last night. On a street Eijiro would have been walking home on since the buses needed maintenance. 

Suddenly, the pieces fell into place. Eijiro had seen a villain situation and had been scared out of his mind. He was still dealing with that fear now. 

Jenna had an idea. Waiting til after she’d gone home and ran, she texted Eijiro and asked if they wanted to meet for sparring, something they sometimes did after school. 

Surprisingly, Eijiro said no. He said he had already run himself and that he was working out at home. Something told Jenna that was a lie, but she didn’t have it in her to press him. 

Jenna accepted it and wished him luck in his workout before going at the punching bag. 

Her Quirk, Archer, let her sharp shoot anything with a bow with pin-point accuracy, so she needed to get good at hand-to-hand combat if she was ever going to make a real difference. 

Unlike most people, Jenna didn’t want to be a Hero. No, she wanted to be a police officer, using her Quirk to protect as many average citizens as she could. 

As her knuckles slammed into the bag, Jenna considered how best to break down Eijiro’s walls and get him to tell her what was going on in that amazing mind of his. 

There was something eating him from the inside out, Jenna could easily tell, but how could she press him into talking to her without jeopardizing the friendship between them? 

=#=#=#=#=

Turns out, the answer was nothing. 

He voluntarily told her after basically avoiding her all day with that awful, defeated look on his face. 

Then, once they’d done their runs, he randomly called Jenna and she instantly picked up. 

“Hey. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you all day.” He begins.

“Did you miss me?” Jenna asks, winking at him through the video chat. She feels a little better when he manages a small smile.

“Very funny. I guess I did a little. Anyway, that’s not why I called. I called to say I’m ready to tell you what happened, why I’ve been off lately. It’s true. There is something wrong.” Jenna doesn’t dare interrupt, nodding to show she was still paying attention. “The other day, there was this villain...and I saw some of the girls from school being questioned by the villain to find some agency. I wanted to help, but...but my body wouldn’t move. My spirit was too weak to do anything. I realized I didn’t have what it takes to risk it all to save people. At least, that was how I felt after what happened, but then...let’s just say I’ve found my spirit again! I’m not gonna regret anything anymore!” Jenna grins, excited to see the flame in Eijiro’s heart ignite again, burning brighter than before. 

“Hell yeah! Let’s do this, Eijiro!” She calls, pumping her free fist excitedly. 

“Yeah!” 

And so, the pair began sparring more and more, getting better and better. Jenna also helped Eijiro increase his Hardening’s strength by firing at him while he stood there, unafraid, his arms and face Hardened and determination blazing in his eyes. 

Weeks went by quickly and Jenna was the happiest she’d even been, Eijiro by her side and with a fiery determination to match his renewed spirit. Jenna could tell Eijiro had truly gotten over his slump and was back on track, chugging along and making up for lost time like he’d never faltered. 

And Jenna was right there, chugging along beside him on her path to being a cop. 

Jenna noticed that Eijiro spent an increasing amount of time with her these days, a fact which she was quick to use in her flirtatious remarks, and a fact that made her heart quicken a little. 

Even after weeks had gone by, Jenna still found herself crushing on Eijiro and wishing she had the guts to tell him, but every time she opened her mouth to confess her honest feelings, it came out as just another flirty joke, another poorly veiled attempt to get him to see her the way she saw him. 

Eijiro never saw through the flirting to the genuine feelings Jenna held for him.

That is, til one day. 

It was shortly before the entrance test for UA, and the pair were hanging out after a rough sparring session. 

“Hey, Eijiro?” Jenna asks, squirming a little, but determined not to back out this time. 

“Yeah?” Eijiro asks. 

“You’re going to UA, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve told you. Why?” 

“It’s just...we’re not going to the same high school, and there’s some- -well, I’ve been meaning to tell you something before we separate.” Eijiro laughs, turning to look at Jenna, who was focused on her fiddling fingers.

“Jenna, c’mon, lighten up! We’ll still be best friends, right? What’s the big deal?” 

“The big deal is I like you, dummy!” Jenna blurts. “And now you’re going away and I won’t see you that often, and- -”

“Wait, what? You...you like me? As in...like like?”

“Yes, you baka!” Jenna barks. “Geez, you’re oblivious!” Eijiro hugs her so he could get a word in edgewise. 

“Jenna, look. I...I like you, too. I just figured you didn’t feel the same way. And besides, we’re not going to stop talking to each other and sparring and stuff, plus, um...maybe dating stuff, too, like hiking and picnics, and- -wait do you like picnics? Or hiking?” 

Jenna playfully smacks his shoulder. “You dork! I was so worried you didn’t feel the same way I felt! You mean to tell me you like me, too?!” 

He pulls you into a kiss in the heat of the moment and Jenna can’t find it in herself to complain at all as her body lit up at the feeling inside her, knowing Eijiro liked her back and they were finally kissing. Her hands wound themselves into his hair and she pressed herself against him as the kiss lengthened. 

Eventually, Eijiro leans back and stares at the girl in his arms. 

“That was...amazing.” He murmurs. 

“You’re telling me.” Jenna replies breathlessly. 

“What was that about being worried about separating?” Eijiro teases. 

Jenna laughs. “I don’t remember.” 

Eijiro nuzzles into Jenna’s neck, laughing. “You’re a dork.” 

“And yet...you kissed me.” 

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” He retorts. 

“Oh you like me, huh?” Jenna couldn’t resist teasing him. 

“Did I not make it obvious?” 

“No! No you did not! As far as I knew, you only thought of me as a best friend! I had to sit there, crushing over you and burying my feelings cus I didn’t think you felt the same!” 

“Sorry!” Eijiro squeaks, suddenly slammed with guilt as accidentally upsetting the girl he’d slowly come to like...a lot. “I’m not great at this romance thing! I thought you were flirting for fun!” 

Jenna groans, running a hand down her face. “Good Lord we’re morons.” 

“Yeah...sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize, Ei. Kiss me again and I might forget all the waiting.” 

Eijiro instantly obliged. 

=#=#=#=#=

“How much further to the top?” Jenna asks, huffing a little as you continue trekking up the mountain. 

“Not too far, you baby.” Eijiro calls back teasingly.

“This was your idea, idiot! I wanted to watch Netflix!” 

“And I said this was a better idea!” 

Jenna huffs. “Yeah, yeah.” 

“Listen, when we get to the top, the view will be worth it.” Eijiro promises, dropping back a little to walk beside his girlfriend.

“It better be, Ei.” She grumbles.

Eijiro kisses Jenna’s temple. “C’mon, sourpuss. Once we’re done, we’ll shower at my dorm and by then my friends should be done shopping.” 

Jenna could never stay mad at him for long, so she grabs his hand and continues walking, determined to get to the top. 

Once there, Jenna could begrudgingly admit that Eijiro was right; the view was amazing. She could see the buildings that made up UA in the distance, proud and tall among the other buildings in the city. 

“There it is.” Eijiro muses as if reading her thoughts. “UA High.” 

“It’s so amazing you got in.” Jenna asks. Eijiro nods, smiling eagerly. He always loved talking about UA. 

“Yeah, I can’t believe it, either! It’s so incredible there!” 

“I’m sure it is.” Jenna replies, genuinely happy for him as she leans her head against Eijiro’s shoulder. 

“I’m really proud of you, too.” Eijiro says as he wraps his arm around her shoulder. “You’re on your way to your dream, too.”

“Thanks, babe.” Jenna grins and leans up a little to kiss her boyfriend. As always, she let it continue for a while. 

Once it ended, the pair stayed and enjoyed the view for a while as the city bustled beneath them. 

“Speaking of schools, how are things in your high school?” Eijiro asks, feeling bad he couldn’t remember the school’s name off the top of his head. 

Jenna nods. “They’re going great! I’m loving it!” Eijiro squeezes Jenna to him proudly. 

“That’s my girl. I’m happy for you.” He kisses her temple and they return to admiring the view. “Hey, we should probably head back down.” Eijiro notes after a few minutes. “Your mom might start worrying.” 

Jenna nods. “Knowing her, she’s worrying already.” She chuckles. “C’mon, loverboy.” 

The pair half-run, half-walk down the mountain and then walk to the subway station nearby. 

=#=#=#=#=

“Ah. You must be Jenna.” Iida calls once he spots the pair entering the dorm building. “My name is Tenya Iida.” Jenna extends a hand and Iida shakes it firmly. 

“Pleasure.” Jenna intones politely. 

“Ashido, Sero, Kaminari, and Bakugo are not back yet.” Iida reports and Eijiro nods. 

“Yeah we’re gonna shower real quick before they get back, then we’ll have lunch and hang out.” 

Iida nods. “Alright then.” He motions them on. The couple leave and Jenna has to school her thoughts carefully as she walks toward the dorm her boyfriend stays in. 

Her mind kept wandering, however, and she couldn’t fight a blush. 

She walks in, and...her jaw drops. “Dang, babe, this is...impressive.” She says, trying not to succumb to her knee-jerk reaction of ‘what is this?’. All around her were ‘manly’ things and workout equipment, including a punching bag. 

“I call my ‘cave of manliness’.” Eijiro explains proudly. Jenna laughs. 

“It’s great, honey.” She replies, kissing his temple. 

“Really? Hagakure said if she had a boyfriend with a room like this, she’d dump him.” Eijiro murmurs, scratching the back of his neck nervously. 

“Well, she’s a bit petty, then. This room is great! Perfect for you!” Jenna replies, waving aside any thought that she’d dump Eijiro on such minor grounds.

“Thanks, Jenna.” Eijiro breaths out, smiling a little shakily.

“Eijiro, don’t listen to anyone who judges you based on such petty things like room decorations. They’re being a little shallow.” Eijiro nods.

“I’ll try not to.” He then takes a breath. “Now, we need to shower. Mina texted me that they’re heading back and they didn’t go that far.” Jenna nods, smirking a little. 

“Want me to join you, save time?” She teases, unable to resist.

On cue, Eijiro’s cheeks turn as red as his hair, and he backs up a few steps. “J-Jenna!” He squeaks, putting his hands over his face. “C’mon! Don’t do that!” Jenna laughs, unable to help it. 

“Ei, I was teasing. It’s adorable when you blush.” Eijiro pouts, cheeks still red. 

“Jen…” He whines. 

“Look, I’ll take the first shower real quick, and then you can shower.” Eijiro nods mutely in embarrassment. 

Soon enough, the showers were done and Eijiro and Jenna were back in the main living area of the building. 

As it they’d timed it, the doors open and the quarter of students enter, Katsuki yelling at Kaminari as usual. Eijiro walks over. 

“Hey, guys!” He greets. Katsuki turns to him once he was through with what he was saying. 

“Hey, Shitty Hair.” Katsuki retorts. “Where’s this girl we’re supposed to meet?” Eijiro turns and motions Jenna over. 

“H-hi.” Jenna says, trying not to stutter, but feeling a little nervous now that the moment had come. 

These were Eijiro’s friends. What if they didn’t like her? 

“...Not bad, I guess.” Katsuki sniffs, walking away to head into the kitchen, grumbling at whoever was in there to get out so he could cook.

“Yeah, she’s a cutie!” Kaminari chirps, walking over. “Good to finally meet you!” He says, almost in a flirty way. Jenna chuckles as she shakes his hand. 

“You’re not bad yourself. What’s your name?” 

“Oh! Sorry! Denki Kaminari.” 

“Good to meet- -”

“Hi there! I’m Mina Ashido, but you can call me Mina!” Ashido interrupts, shaking Jenna’s hand eagerly. “It’s so awesome to meet you!” 

“Awesome to meet you too!” Jenna replies, easily feeding off Mina’s energy, which seemed to ease Jenna’s nerves. Mina then finally lets go of Jenna’s hand as Sero walks over. 

“I’m Hanta Sero. Good to finally meet yah, Jenna.” He says, bring a bit more calm into the meeting. 

“It’s great to finally meet everyone.” Jenna says, meaning it. 

And, it seems, they liked her already, so she had nothing to be nervous about. 

“Who’s hungry?” Eijiro asks. “I think I saw Katsuki walking into the kitchen, so we should follow and get lunch.” 

Jenna clutches her stomach, not realizing how hungry she was till someone mentioned food. “Yes, please! Good God, I’m hungry.” Eijiro takes her hand as they walk, unashamed. 

Katsuki took convincing to let them help, but eventually they were settled at the table, food and drinks aplenty, banter and stories flying back and forth as the group enjoyed lunch. 

Jenna quite liked Eijiro’s friend group, she decided. They were all so unique and boisterous in their own ways, and she could easily find her place among them, even if she didn’t go to UA.

[raemots]

14 February 2020

Well well well look who’s back at her tumblr diary. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing because the last time I started this diary was when I was 21, about to go through a pretty serious break up, starting to get out of a pretty serious depression, going through a solid 7 months of being a glorified alcoholic, and then graduating college. You could say there was a lot going on.

First off, I just read my previous most from nearly FIVE YEARS AGO!!! And the frightening thing was.... not a lot has changed. I still kinda feel the same way it sounds like I did in that post. A lot of my friends here in Syracuse are also really busy and have a lot going on and are too busy for me. I don’t really feel as bad about it now as I used to be because we’re all adults now going through adult stuff and it’s hard to make time for people.

I should do a little summary as it’s been a minute. So since I last posted on here, I graduated college (!!!) and then started studying for the CPA exam for the better part of 2 years but I finally got it done. Brodie and I got an apartment together and spent a year there having a FUCKING BLAST until he unfortunately lost his job in Cuse and moved down to DC. After B left, our friend Tristan took over his lease which ended up being fate or destiny or whatever because he ended up meeting my friend Liz from HS and those two crazy kids hit it off and almost 3 years later they’re engaged!! Life man. About 1 year and a half after Tristan moved in, we both moved out of the legendary apartment 4K to get our own places. Since then I’ve had a cute little studio apartment downtown. I also ended up getting a cat who I found in the parking garage across the street from my place. I started my job at a local accounting firm the December after graduating college and have now been with them for over 4 years and I still love it. The work is tiring and never ending but the people keep me going. My bosses continue to be awesome badass women and I really like it.

As for love life, boys have come and gone. There was a run in with Brian #1 that ended up with me finding out he had a girlfriend after we slept together and me pouring a drink on his head in a public place. Its probably the most bad ass thing I’ve done. There was also Brian #2 who I think was the closest I’ve come to actually dating someone and I’ve blocked a lot of that out of my memory because he basically ghosted me to get back with his ex and then 6 months later I found out he gave me chlamydia. I’m just starting to realize that both of those guys have left me with some trust issues that I’m trying to get over. There’s been hook ups here and there but those are the main two to know about. Stay away from brians.

Well my dear ex mike and I did stay friends for a while until he met his new fiance K (I dont want to include her name here as I dont know her and have nothing against her). Mike basically stopped talking to me after he and K started dating. Then I Iowkey crashed Johanna’s wedding with Terry (Terry and Jo got married btw!!!!!) where Mike was forced to say I couldnt crash with him and Mike and keenan bc MIKE AND K ARE ENGAGED!!!! which is the story of how johannah had to deal with mike and my 5 year old relationship baggage the night before her wedding. But the weekend made me realize how fucking condescending Mike can be. So I made it so he doesnt show up in my social media feed and its been a lot better for me but still messed me up a bit.

Other random highlights are going to france with geneseo alumni (fucking AWESOME!!! and WES WAS THERE!!!) oh and I went to ireland the summer after graduation!!! again!! fucking awesome!!

Well that p much gets us to today. Today is valentines day. Well technically there’s 13 minutes left. I go through phases where I feel perfectly content with my life. I like living by myself, just me and bean. living downtown and going out to grab drinks with friends. the occasional late summer night where you close the bars and grab pizza and stay at a friends apartment until 4am.  Then there are times where I just feel so dreadfully alone. I feel like the only people who understand me live hours away (brodie, erin, jen, amanda). journal, I’m going to six weddings next year. S I X. and 5 of them are people my age. I never expected to marry thing young, let alone meet ~the one~ but when this many of your friends are either dating or engaged or living together, you start to feel like there;s something wrong with you. celeste often gives me shit for lamenting about how single i am and puts herself in the same boat. But she had guys FALLING OVERTHEMSELVES for her. like i just thought of 4 or 5 in the brief 10 seconds i sat here. Even n**l is so obsessed with her that he ruined their friendship bc she kissed a random guy on NYE (full disclosure, he’s trash and sexist and we dont like him this isnt me being jealous) it is just me pointing out that she tends to always be the one being pursued. and I am the faithful hype man. giving her advice on what to say to them. If her outfit looks good. if she should go over. Celeste does all the same help for me, don;t get me wrong. but it usually ends up working out for her and she’ll get a date or two out of it. i rarely even get a text back. It really put it into perspective when she was livid that a guy wouldnt respond to her in a timely manner. Meanwhile Im here like “wait.... you get texts back?? regularly?!?!?!?! jesus fuckign christ whats THAT like”

Am i that much of a sadsack, journal? brodie says its because im very independent and strong and i give off this “i dont fuckin need you” vibe. which is cool if im lucy liu or angelina jolie however i do not look like the sex symbols that are those iconic women. don’t get me wrong, i have a lovely figure, especially after going to the gym. But I just don’t really think many/any men would see me as so hot that they’d talk to me despite being intimidating. Idk, maybe I’m feeling too sorry fro myself. Jesus it’s 20 fucking 20 and I’m still feeling lesser than and comparing myself to Celeste. It’s not just her, I’ve always felt iike the sidekick. alexis, andrea, mollie, tori, celeste, jen. They were always the pretty, likeable, charismatic one. I’ve always felt like the funny friend who hypes up the main characters storyline. I’m the Judy fucking Greer of life. 

I just need to commit and make a therapy appointment. I’ll email one tomorrow. It’s been my main 2020 goal and fuckin A im gonna make it happen. its been a long one but a good one. hey it just turned midnight, its no longer valentines day. thank fuckin god.

[lizzieverse]

Happy New Year! Here’s to hope, moving forward and enduring life. I used to make FB as an essay writing platform during the first day of the year, like everybody, but then I remembered, I might as well make use of my own personal blog so I get less judgments, right? Kidding. I. don’t. care.

2017 has been quite a productive year for me unlike the other years. Although I have lots of days where I really can’t find a reason to get up and days where I just find myself stuck in sadness. But, I got a stubborn head and a reckless heart so when I get a little courage, I say “fvck it, Lizzie” and do what I had to do. There have been a lot of first times for me this year, from doing what I love, to helping people, communities, and the environment. Below are the highlights of my 2017 that I am super thankful of:

January – Joined Para Sa Sining. Saw a post that they’re looking for volunteers with creative backgrounds. Without any hesitation, my friend and I went to their HQ for an interview. Never regretted joining this organization as I have seen such passionate individuals that’s not just concerned about Art, but also give back to the community and give glory to God.

February – It’s the National Arts month so instead of rallying for a Valentine’s day date, I wished to have the energy to attend every event for that Month. I was able to attend the opening day and had a free film photography/videography course. Also, becoming a yearly tradition, Art Fair at The Link to see a bunch of fine Art.

It was also the last days with my best girl workmates and doing events. It was sad but, I just felt like leaving would really help me find where I want to be.

There was also an unexpected blessing and responsibility that came to me for this month, a chance to be a  partner for change. I was offered to be a volunteer writer/researcher for Explorra.ph. It was a week of stories of failure and success that inspired us to keep going.

March –  It’s my birthday month! Celebrated my birthday away from the city. Bataan was one of my dream local destinations so, me and my boyfriend made use of my birthday holiday to explore three towns in Bataan, namely, Bagac, Mariveles and Morong. It was one helluva ride because there was no connecting rides from one city to another. Although it was tiring and there have been throwing tantrums on the side, I am just glad to have spent it climbing the hills, touching the walls of history, swimming in the beach and releasing baby turtles.

For first times, me and my boyfriend attended Holi Festival in MOA. Been wishing to attend this event because of the colors and also have a taste of India’s culture.

Another first time is to ride a bamboo bike and be an Intramuros tour guide for a day. Para Sa Sining partnered with Bambike Tours for Katha’s : Teatro x Arkitektura 2017.

photo grabbed from Para Sa Sining fb page

Another volunteer opportunity we grabbed was to be a social media manager for Pandacan Ecology Ministry. Last March, me and my boyfriend personally experienced helping the ministry separate plastics and papers from the trash collected from residential areas of Brgy. Pandacan in Manila. It will be delivered to a partnered organization that will convert the trash into eco bricks.

April –  Had the chance to be a SharePH ambassador with my friend, Persis. Another photography and videography lesson given by professional photographers/videographers from Rappler.

Photo grabbed from Move.ph fb page

After months of leaving GLMP, my friends invited me to a “team building” party in Tagaytay. Missed them so much and being with them is a lot of fun.

May – It was my first summer outing with StraightArrow. Although, it was awkward getting along as a newbie, I still enjoyed it. Thanks to the newly found friends I got to be with during that time.

Another first time for this month was to attend an overnight gig on top of the mountains. It was amazing swaying and sleeping to Indie folk songs and waking up to sunrise with Munimuni’s Bukang Liwayway, which was my favorite part.

credits to Jen Tajanlangit for the photo

Explorra and Pangasinan Tourism gave us a chance again to gather together and have fun with our fellow volunteers, Explorra never fails to give a soul satisfying moment and Pangasinan really carved a space in my heart because of the people’s generosity and its beauty.

June – Spent Araw ng Kalayaan listening to some of my fave local artists. It was not the first time for me to hear them live but the orchestra setting made it different. Don’t mind the Summer Siren shirt, please. HAHA

July – First salu-salo with Para Sa Sining. I really hope to get to know all of them. Also just meeting my girls at our favorite event.

Had a super chill anniversary celebration with my love in Elyu. Also the first time to be in a relationship for a year and counting, LOL. Hope to have more misadventures with this hooman.

August – Meeting my best friend after x number of months, my friends from previous company and volunteer work. Also my phone broke, thankfully I get to have physical human interactions.

September – First time to speak in front of a crowd to teach something of use to Creatives like me. It was exciting and at the same time, challenging, I never thought I could be a teacher or a trainer. Thanks to CNA, ’cause they’ve provided support and trainings for us to be fully equipped.

Planted baby bamboos with my love in Rizal. Kawayanihan was a big event done every year. Although the program before the planting was I think long and unnecessary, I guess we both enjoyed completing all the steps to save Mama Earth in our own little ways.

October – Our much awaited trip to Cebu x Dumaguete x Siquijor. Went to my parents home town and got to see a bunch of dolphins! It’s also an early celebration for my bb’s birthday.

Was able to shoot for Para sa Sining’s Katha: Musika x Pelikula. Thanks to Leah, for lending me her camera. I actually love taking photos, not really selfies if you ask. So a good camera and a worthy event excites me every time.

Para sa Sining

Artwork featured for Katha: Musika x Pelikula

Artwork featured for Katha: Musika x Pelikula

And a spontaneous trip with my boyfriend’s fam which was also a late and early birthday celebration for him and her siblings.

November –  A wish granted gig date with my beau. It was actually on my bucket list as one of my ideal date setting. Just swaying to the songs of my fave bands with my person. With a beer in one hand and his hand on the other. Mushiness aside, it was also my first time to watch Ciudad and I am so happy, they’re actually the number one reason why I wanna go to this gig. But of course, everyone who played are my personal favorites. It felt like we were in the movie “Ang Nawawala” which we both love.

I am just thankful for this year that God gave me so much opportunities to help the world and be a partner for change. And even I can just do a little, he’ll make sure I won’t falter and just grab whatever chance that came my way. Last November was quite special to me because I attended a conference with Alec. When I met him, he’s so passionate about making a change in this country, I was glad I was able to see that Alec again during the conference. Also, it didn’t appear to me that I will get to see my close friend, Persis during the conference and that she was a part of HPAIR, the organizer for ASEAN Youth Impact Challenge.

December – The time for catching up, giving back and reflecting. I’m just glad that I was able to catch up with people I haven’t met for a long time. My December was pretty jam packed that I crammed buying gifts for everyone. But, I’m really glad I have survived it!

My first Christmas party with StraightArrow and awesome team mates.

Second year outreach activity with high school friends, yearly Christmas party and a get together party to make up for our lost time together.

Wedding gig in Laguna. Last year I got to help my friend with a wedding, too. But this year was kinda challenging ’cause it was an all around thing. From smelling flowers to trying not to cry. Kidding. It was fun, though.

Another first time with the boyfriend – climbing a mountain. Well, technically we’ve climbed a few mountains already. But this time with a hike guide, strong winds and gusty rain.

Also, after a long time, I was able to visit Persis in QC and had photowalk, photoshoot, street food trip and coffee like we always do.

And the yearly get together with my college friends. So much have changed with our food and drink choices, but we still all laugh loudly when we’re together.

It’s nice looking back ’cause I realized it was never that bad at all. Even if it felt like I was all alone, hopeless and not good enough, these memories remind me that I am not, that I made it, that I can. And I wanna keep moving forward. To pursue everything that can satisfy my soul, meet people who keeps wanting more kindness, a better world and a better self. This year I just want to keep finding source of funds so that I can continue to do what I love to do. Travel, take more photos, help more people, learn more, study, make art, buy art, plant more trees, clean more beach, just basically do whatever I think I wanna do. Ha!

My 2017 Highlights Diary Happy New Year! Here's to hope, moving forward and enduring life. I used to make FB as an essay writing platform during the first day of the year, like everybody, but then I remembered, I might as well make use of my own personal blog so I get less judgments, right?

[daniellethamasa]

Hey all, Dani here.

I’m back with another purge post. Several other people were starting to do Down the Rabbit Hole and TBR purge posts and it sounded like a good idea to me. But, whereas their posts have you go through 5 (or 10) books at one time, I knew that pace would take me an eternity to completely weed out my TBR. So I altered mine so I look at 30 books each post.

And as I started this post I still had 700 books left on my Goodreads to read list. I’m hoping that by the time all these purge posts are over, I will have my list down around 400. It was at like 820 when I started. We’ll see if I can pull that off.

Iced by Karen Marie Moning. When I added this to the list I thought it was the first book in a new series. If I had paid attention I would have realized that it isn’t. I do want to read this book, but I want to read it in the correct order, so I will remove it from my list now, and then eventually I will read the previous books.

Graveminder by Melissa Marr. This book does still sound interesting, but I’m not really in the mood for it right now, so I’m going to take it off my list. I do own the ebook so I can always change my mind later.

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress. Again, this one sounds interesting (and I also own this one in e-book) but there are so many other books I want to focus on right now that I would keep skipping over this one anyway, so I’ll take it off the list too.

Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky. This book won an Amazon publishing contest several years ago, so I added it to my to-read list because I thought of entering the contest in the future and wanted to see what kind of books they picked as finalists and winners. Well, the contest no longer exists and I just don’t see myself picking this book up anytime soon so I’ll say goodbye to it.

Moonshifted by Cassie Alexander. I picked this up back when I was just reading a whole lot of paranormal romance books because it sounded kinda interesting, and I still might pick it up at some point but probably not anytime soon.

The Tears of Elios by Crista McHugh. This is supposed to be part of a series, but the next book keeps getting pushed back and back, and I just don’t want to invest myself in a series that may never progress.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. I have heard a lot of great things about this book (and series), but right now I just don’t know when I would get around to it.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones. I devoured the first three of this series, and I’m sure at some point I will just binge read my way through the rest. I do enjoy Charlie and the rest of the characters. I mean, I own through book six or so on my NOOK so reading them is something I plan to do…but I’ll have to wait until I’m more in the mood for it, so so long for now.

Ice Forged by Gail Z. Martin. I added this several years ago because I had heard a lot about it and it sounded interesting. Now, I don’t really remember anything about it.

Spy Glass, Scent of Magic, Ice Study, Power Study, and Assassin Study by Maria V. Snyder. While I love the Study series, I felt a bit meh about the first Glass book, but knowing they all take place in the same world means I want to finish the Glass trilogy so I can read the new Study books. Also, I want to read the Study stories. Then there’s Snyder’s other trilogy, of which I’ve only read the first book but also really enjoyed, so I’d like to finish those off as well.

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal. I loved the first of the Glamourist Histories books, and have continued to buy each subsequent novel since then…and yet I never continued to read them. So I’m keeping this one because I want to keep going at some point.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops and More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell. I have wanted these books since I first heard about them. They sound awesome and hilarious, and I know they will be super quick reads.

Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregellis. This is a book/author I have heard quite a bit about, and I honestly debated about keeping this one. I do own it in paperback. So, despite taking it off the list, if the mood strikes, I’ll still pick it up.

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang. I think this was one that was recommended from the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club, so I added it, but I haven’t been reading a lot of this kind of book lately. So I can get rid of this for now, and who knows, maybe I’ll pick it up in the future.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders by Cassandra Clare. I have several Shadowhunters books I still need to read, and I may still read this one, but I don’t think it is actually necessary right now.

Rise by Andrea Cremer. I already got rid of the rest of this series, so I can easily say goodbye to this one as well.

Steel’s Edge by Ilona Andrews. I own this whole series, and I’ve left the first one on my list, but I’m removing the rest for now, so I can say so long to this one until I finally start reading the On the Edge series.

For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk. I do believe this was another book I added back when because I was on a PNR kick, but I’m just not feeling it right now.

Black Wings, Black Night, Black Howl, Black Lament, Black City, and Black Heart by Christina Henry. I had read the first five or so chapters of the first book, and it was just all right. It could get better as I get farther into the book and/or series, but for now it isn’t something I plan to pick up again anytime soon.

Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead. I really need to finish off the Georgina Kincaid books. I’ve read half of them and have enjoyed them, so I know it won’t take much to finish them off. Amazingly, what held me back from finishing them is that they started releasing them with new covers and I liked the cover changes so I was waiting for each book…and then they stopped the new covers after the third book, and started using the original covers for the mass market paperbacks. Why must publishers do this to us? Cover changes can be problematic.

Anyway, that’s it for today’s purge post. All in all I only kept 9 reads this time around, which is pretty darn impressive.

Oh, and I’ve finally started putting together my bookcases in what will be the library/study of my apartment. I still have six more bookcases to put together, and many more books to pack up and move over from my mom’s house. Plus I still have to organize them. But in order to have boxes available to pack more up, I had to toss the books I’d already moved up on the shelves…so here is an in-progress photo update. I do plan to have a full library tour post up once I’ve finished.

TBR Purge Time – #8 Hey all, Dani here. I'm back with another purge post. Several other people were starting to do Down the Rabbit Hole and TBR purge posts and it sounded like a good idea to me.

[celiawickedrunnah]

“Run Your Heart Out”

  ~ Unknown 

 The quote above express a profound statement and it is not only powerful from a sports competition perspective, but also for life in general. We live in a competitive world and whether we think that we don’t care about it, it really doesn’t matter – we’re sucked in competitiveness be it against somebody else or with ourselves. And when logistics or muscles find a glimpse of limitation, you better run your heart out and proof otherwise!

Running the OUC half marathon 40th anniversary race was more than just a race for me. It was an opportunity to be part of the Orlando’s historical race for the third consecutive year, running in my adopted city’s neighborhood and exchanging hellos with other members of the running community composed mostly of Track Shack runners.

After a difficult training cycle with ups and downs, with more downs than ups – at least it seemed to be this way, I was ready to redeem myself, bring on the positive energy and close the last race of the year on a good note. I wanted my last race of the year to be the start of a new beginning of a training cycle, and I wanted to bring a result that would give me hope to work on. The possibility of working with a coach again was intriguing and exciting.

There are no words to describe my experience after Lighthouse Loop half marathon. It was days of depression and hopeless, and weeks of uncertainty on whether I was really capable of running anything faster than a double-digit pace and still feel as if it was like a walk in the park. I finally understood what Julie Isphording meant about her quote: Run often. Run long. But never outrun your joy of running.

I put all those feelings and darkness behind. I learned to deal with an obstacle at time while seeking a solution of a clear path. I surrounded myself with positive-minded people that would up lift my vibes and help me. There was no getting out of this loomy-gloomy alone, but it was up to me to believe in myself and be with people that enforced my own believe or that showed me the way to make my believe a reality. I started to soak-in Jen Sincero’s audiobook You are a Badass and reading Elizabeth Clor’s book Boston Bound  including contacting her via Instagram for one or two words of advice.

My favorite athlete of all times is Tom Brady. I admire everything about him. His expertise in the game of football, his demeanor, attitude, and competitiveness. His positive state of mind and calmness is an attribute that mesmerize me. It’s interesting that when I planned the OUC race, I chose a Tom Brady picture to be the cover of my Days Event calendar app for the December 3 date. Our subconscious is always in harmony with our desires and dreams, but it doesn’t sync if we choose to live in a negative state of mind or lack expressing gratitude. Hello to the Law of Attraction! And if Tom Brady’s badass attitude gives me motivation to do my best and be my best in the face of adversity, so be it! You got to do what works for you and nobody else.

My pre-race routine didn’t change a bit. Okay, perhaps the only change was that I was grounded and calmer than previous races. A high 50’s degree in the early morning of the race was welcomed and I’m sure it helped me stay calm and excited to run. I intended to run between the 1:55 and 2:00 hour pace group, but I could not reach the corral. There were over 2,700 runners and somehow I was stuck way back with the 2:45 group pace. I just stayed calm and maneuver my way around looking for some clear path. Once I hit mile 1, the path started to clear and my pace was decent at 9:18 close to target pace (9:05). I sure didn’t want to go too fast and ran out of fuel by mid-way.

I ran with a disposable Açaí juice bottle and mixed a concoction of water and Huma Gel for fuel. I don’t use anything else besides Huma Gel. I figured that having it ready for consumption, it would save me some time at the water stations instead of having to walk/stop to consume. Loosing precious time to drink water and Gatorade was costly enough already.

Buy mile 2, I was getting hot (hot by my standard is anything over 65 degrees) and had to remove my tank top. Running on sports bra is my thing and I do whatever it helps to keep me from overheating. I was happy to see that my pace was a steady 9:18, and by removing my tank top, I knew that I’d feel much lighter. I was just hoping that the weather would cooperate throughout the race.

This was my second race running without music. I’m starting to feel I really don’t need it. I don’t run with music during training for safety reasons since mostly of my runs are done around 5:00 a.m., and quite frankly, I can’t imagine running with music now. I’ve learned to be in tuned with my body, breathing, mind and spirit. I am a runner with more focus without music. It has become my mediation and observation time thanks to reading Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s book Running with the Mind of Meditation.

Things started to look good for me. I had energy, the weather was somewhat cool and I was driven to own this race. If a su-2 half marathon for some reason was not possible, a PR would be the next target. At mile 3, my pace decreased to a 9:04. I was so grateful and in shock at the same time as I had never ran this fast in a race before with some negative splits in sight. Mile 4, it fluctuate to a 9:06 pace, 9:07 for mile 5 and 9:01 for mile 6. Bam, I was flying! Mile 7 brought me up to 9:07 and a slight crash at mile 8 with a 9:09 and 9:20 for mile 9. At this point, the weather started to warm up way too quickly and I was starting to get concern if I had pushed too much too soon.

The thought of bunking in another half marathon was starting to creep in since it’s kinda of customary for to start to loose energy at the most crucial point of the race. So I gathered my thoughts and pick up my feet to bring my pace down to a 9:06 for miles 10 and 11. At mile 12, the course started to get tough with a good portion of bricks and some elevation. The weather was also getting hotter to my taste. My pace went up to 9:22 and I realized that if I were not to be able to make a sub-2, it would have been by seconds.

I am not sure where I got the energy and drive to pick up my pace to 8:55 for mile 13. I breathed so hard and tried to pump as much blood in my muscles as I could. I kept focus on and aiming to that finish line. I saw that Garmin was showing me a 1:59 and something seconds, but I still had probably another 88 yards to the finish line. I lost some momentum thinking it was useless to continue running that fast. Suddenly, I realized that even without a sub-2 PR, every second was still counting. Also, one of the two professors I work with who was a spectator cheering on their son, yelled my name encouraging me to go, go, GO CELIA!!!!

I burst with whatever energy I had left to I cross the finish line with a jump of epic joy! I had never felt anything like it. I heard coach Chis yelling my name, but I didn’t see her because I was still wearing an invisible horse visor, lol. Next, I was searching for my husband. Last year’s race, he was by the sideline, this time, I didn’t hear or see him nearby. A race organizer blocked him from entering the runners’ exit from the course, but he came to my path anyways. As usual, he kissed me and I hugged him. Putting my medal around his neck first is a now a tradition and he loves it!

Illy and Kathy stopped by, we chatted a little bit and took time for some picture. My two speedsters, Julie and Pasley, saw me and came over to congratulate me on a great race. And of course, we chatted and took pictures.

As usual my husband is so supportive of my running, so he carried my change of clothes and my post-workout protein drink. We headed to the post-party event to check my official time. I could not believe that I was only 54 seconds shy from hitting my sub-2 goal.

A 2:00:54 half marathon at 9:13 pace was epic for me. Hope is alive. The dream is in the process of transformation and materialization with one step at a time. Right foot. Left foot. Here I come!

 “Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do.  Attitude determines how well you do it.”

 ~ Lou Holtz

  OUC Half Marathon 40th Anniversary: A Breakthrough Race "Run Your Heart Out"   ~ Unknown   The quote above express a profound statement and it is not only powerful from a sports competition perspective, but also for life in general.