Finally, It's Over!

Let me just go ahead and say it. This month SUCKED! I know it's my fault for not doing things the way I should or not training everyday or eating the wrong things, but I have to blame something, so I'm going to blame the month of June. June... you STINK!

Ok now the damage. This month I did not complete either Team Voice challenge like I thought I was. I only did 78 miles, which was not even close to the Advanced challenge like I wanted to complete and I'm pretty sure that I didn't make the middle challenge either. I did however complete the push/situp challenge at 3000 and the Juneathon, so I guess that's something.

As far as why... I really can't say. Like I said earlier, I can only blame myself. Alot of it has to do with my traveling, but that wasn't everything. My mind has been elsewhere (life,moving, school, etc.) and I just haven't been motivated like I should be. But enough excuses. Like the old saying goes, Excuses are like [insert body part here], everyone has one.

With that out of the way, I'm ready to start July off right! No more cheating and No more Skipping!

Nothing Much Here...

Hey guys. There isn't much to report on today. I'm still feeling a little under the weather. It's not that I'm sick I just feel kind of blah, you know? I don't know what it is. My leg is feeling a little better though.

I did go out for a stroll but it was only about a 1/2 mile. No situps or pushups.

Diet went ok today. I didn't keep up with points, but it was ok.

Did you guys hear that Jonathan and Bryan called me while I was away? And my phone was turned off! I was SO upset with myself! Then they put the message they left on the show. Now I really feel like a total Horse's A double S! Oh well, maybe they'll call me again. This time I'll answer.

Do you guys know of any Team Voicer's or Supporters that have blogs? I'm trying to get everyone I know of with a blog over on the "List". If I've left anyone off, tell me and I'll add the ASAP.

I heard the big Team Voice News today on the show. Sounds pretty cool! I love the "Adult Beverage" in France/Illuminations in Japan Meet idea. Can't wait. Unfortuneatly, I'll have to miss out on the Dole Whip Meet at Aloha Isle on Sunday. I'll be on a plane back home. :-(

Back from "Hotlanta"

Mongello guys! I made it back from Atlanta yesterday. The conference was pretty uneventful. Mostly the competion (I didn't place), a few workshops and seminars, and a big "shindig" (which i didn't go to)

Funny story since I'm talking about the conference: I was my local chapter's voting delegate, so anytime there was a voting meeting, I had to go. Well, I when I went to the Southern Region's Meeting, I didn't know that we had to sit together by state. I ended up sitting in the Florida section. When they found out where I was from, they would either ask me "How fast can you say Mississippi?" or they would say "I can spell that!" or "I drove through there once!". It got annoying after a while. But funny now that I look back at it. Is this what I have to look forward to when I move to Florida?

Anyway, I only did two fun things while in Atlanta. I went on the "Inside CNN" Tour and I went to the World of Coca-Cola. That was really cool and was on par to a Disney operation. I even made my touring buddies try the Beverly (you know that awful tasting drink from Italy in Club Cool). I have pictures if anyone wants to see.

As far as training was concerned... Nothing went the way I had intended it.

First of all, I went for a run on the Dreadmill (I'm not about to go for a run in downtown Atlanta) and did something to my leg. So bad that I had to call a taxi to take me places that I normally would have walked. I was limping everywhere else. Still hurts a little. If it keeps up, I'm going to go get it looked at.

Second, on the second night of the trip, we all ate at Hard Rock and I ate something that didn't quite agree with me. So I spent most of that night "sick".

And on top of that, I didn't get much sleep.

Meals weren't too bad, after the Hard Rock incident, I didn't feel like eating much and when I did, it was only a little bit.

I gave myself a clean slate today. We'll see how it goes!

On the Road... Again!

No training today. I was too busy packing and getting everything ready for my trip (more in just a second). I am going to make this month's Team Voice goal and the Juneathon, but I don't think I'm going to make the "advanced" T.V. challenge. I've just been gone for too long.

I'm heading up to Atlanta for a few days for a PBL (Business honors club) Leadership Conference. I'm competing in the Business Law competion. Hopefully I can place. It would look good if I decide to go to law school.

I killed my brand spankin' new laptop yesterday (a virus fried my hard drive - DAMN YOU HACKERS!!!), so I won't have internet access while I'm gone (unless there's a business station somewhere). I'm still going to be training and dieting while I'm gone. No family and just a few friends, so I'm not expecting much damage.

I'll see you all when I get back!

P.S.
Rae- My sister loves her frame! lol!
Chris- My race doesn't look like it's going to workout, with me saving up for school and the marathon. Hopefully, I'll find a local race to go to.

Random, Yet Cool Pictures of D.C.

We're almost done! These are just some random things that I took pictures of in D.C.

FTC Headquarters

The Old Post Office - I've been up there before. It's really cool and has one of the best views of the city

The National Archives - Just in case you didn't see National Treasure, this is where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and several other historical documents are kept.

A cool shot of the Washington Monument and the Rotunda of the Natural History Museum

The Navy Memorial

Yay! We're done with D.C.! There is only one more trip report left (from Yorktown, VA).

Rae- I got the frame today. Thank you so much!!! I love it! ....... So does my sister. She stole it from me and it's in her room now!

The National Gallery of Art

I had never really cared for art before this trip. Mostly because I had never been to an art museum before. Now I love it! I still don't like modern art though. It just doesn't make sense to me. I'm more of a fan of classic art.

He's ugly as sin, but still funny. He is in the Sculpture Garden

The Houses of Parliment, Sunset by Monet, 1903

Self-Portrait by Van Gogh, 1889

The Artist's Garden in Argenteuil

(A corner of the Garden with Dahliahs)

by Monet, 1873

This one is my favorite. I have a print hanging in my "office".

Spring by Manet, 1881

Pont Neuf, Paris by Renoir, 1872

The Approching Storm by Troyon, 1849

The Gallery's Rotunda - It reminds me of the Pantheon in Rome (another place that I would LOVE to visit someday)

The Rotunda Fountain

The Washington Monument

Again, in all of the years that I've been going to D.C., this was the first time that I had ever been inside of the Washington Monument. Here are some views of the city from above.

The Pentagon

The American History Museum and the National Gallery of Art Buildings

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

This was the first time I have ever seen this museum. Mostly because we didn't know how graphic it would be and we wanted to wait until my sister was old enough to handle it.


The museum's exhibits are very well presented and take you through the rise of the Nazi regime and the start of the Holocaust to the liberation of the concentration camps and the formation of Israel. I didn't get any pictures of any of the exhibits inside the museum because photography is not allowed inside. But I did get some of the memorial itself.





The only problem with this museum (and it's not really a problem at all) is that there is so much inside that it can get very cramped, espescially when there is alot of people, which there was. So many that we couldn't really stop and look at or read anything. The next time we go, we're going to go as soon as the doors open.

The National World War II Memorial

This is the newest memorial to be added to the Mall. It's pretty simple but pretty in it's own way.

The Reflecting Pool

In all the years I've been going to D.C., this was the first time I had ever seen the Reflecting Pool actually filled with water. We usually go during Spring Break (we're a bunch of partiers aren't we?) and it's usually empty for the winter then.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

"The Wall" as alot of people call it was very crowded (as it usually is) so this is as close as we got. We had all seen it before and found it pretty depressing so we didn't stay very long.

The Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln being one of my favorite Presidents... The Lincoln Memorial is one of my favorite memorials in Washington.

I love the detail in the torches

The National Mall: The WWII Memorial, The Washington Monument, the Smithsonian "Castle" and the Capitol

Honest Abe himself

Me being clever with the camera

The Korean War Veterans Memorial

Ok... I'm going to try to knock some more trip reports out so I can get through. Hope you enjoy!

I thought this one was kind of neat... The soldiers are marching toward the flag.