Promises, promises.

Remember when I said I wasn't going to complain. Well....I have just spent the past hour calling phone numbers to get information on transferring my esthetician and massage therapy background to Minnesota. I had written emails months ago and left messages, but no replies. I thought I should maybe wait until I got here to make it easier. HA!!! Here's what happened today (in a nut shell)...First I was told to go to the Department of Commerce website, but there wasn't any info to be found. Next I googled Dept of Cosmetology. Aha! Found it. I went to that website. At first it claimed that there was information on obtaining reciprocity for esthi licenses but there was only information on cosmetology. So I called the number. Disconnected. Tried another number. Fax machine. Tried a third number and it sounded like I woke someone up then he hung up on me. What? I tried it again, thinking I must have done something wrong Same voice, bu this time it was a voice mail for Dr SoandSo. Decided to write down the address and walk into the building. Let's hope it's still there. Okay, so maybe I'll have better luck with massage therapy. Googled it. Nothing. Googled massage schools and went onto a couple of sights hoping to see, at the very least, information on graduation hour requirements. Nothing. I then tried the State Attorney Generals office, hoping to at the very very least be pointed in the right direction. Disconnected. Hennepin County office. Disconnected. Then finally someone answered at the Minneapolis City Hall. Just as I thought I heard the angels sing HALLELUJAH! Stopped cold when the man I was speaking with had NO FRIGGIN CLUE what I was talking about. He told me to try the Attorney General. I told him the number is disconnected. Then he told me Maybe the Department of Commerce. Tried that also (see beginning of post). Then "Sorry. I don't know how to help you." Great! Next adventure...So I googled schools again and called one of them who told me that they only teach Reiki (which is a type of massage) so she didn't know the answer. WTF? Then, upon asking her for the name of a massage school in the area that might be able to help me she said "I'm sorry. I don't know any. Your best bet is to google massage therapy schools in the area and call one of those." To which I replied "That's what I did and it gave me you. Thanks anyway." WTF? Finally...one last chance with google. I called a school called "Center Point" and spoke with Jeannine who told me that there is no state licensing or requirements. It used to be run out of the Office of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, but they lost their funding, so it is not staffed. My best bet is to become nationally certified, through the NCBMT (which I already knew) and continue to take classes, but I NEED zero hours. Great. WTF??????

How do I adjust?

How long will it take for me to adjust to this new schedule? This afternoon running thing? Oye! I have had MAJOR abdomen pain both afternoons that I've run with the group. Am I running too fast? Too slow? Is it the water that I keep drinking because it's SO DAMN WARM in the afternoons? I will tough it out the 3 days a week that I join them, but I can tell you right now I am looking forward to Wednesday mornings with Amy and the Saturday long runs...7am!!! WooHoo!!!!
Today it took me about an hour and a half to cool off. I'm not sure how I am going to make it through to the marathon. Perhaps it will make me a better, stronger, faster runner. I hope so.

Begin Week 3

So after 2 weeks of crying (well, not entirely...I didn't cry last Tuesday) I have made up my mind that I chose this path and I am going to make the most of it. I'm a girl that loves a good party, but the 2 week long pity party had to end. As the saying goes, "put on your big girl panties...". So I did. After a 14 day stand off with myself, and really anyone and everyone that represented this so called new life, I decided to stop with the tears and shut the hell up! I have already made new friends, reconnected with old ones, made some good business contacts, joined a gym and, for the first time ever, joined an "official" running group. Oh, and I happen to be in love with a really great guy that simply wants to make me happy. All in all, not so bad. Sure, I miss my friends and my family. Absolutely I will miss 300 days of sunshine and geographically located within driving distance of everything I love to do...okay so I'm really just referring to the wine country...but still...I vow right here, right now, that from now on "feeling Minnesota" will be honest to goodness joy.