Things That Make You Go "HMMMMMMM..."

I went for a nice little run on Sunday morning. About 10 minutes into my jaunt around the neighborhoods, I looked up to see a black cat up the road about 50 yards in front of me. I thought to myself "Now, that's got to be the hundredth black cat I've seen cross my path in my lifetime - they say it's bad luck but I have never experienced it!"

The MOMENT I finished that thought, my right foot went down on the pavement and I tripped, rolling my ankle over and twisting it! I was more in shock that it had happened as I was thinking about bad luck from black cats than I was from the pain, but it was a surprise either way. I was able to walk it off and finish the run, and after icing my ankle and resting for a day I think I'll be just fine.... but can you believe this happened the way it did? I mean, I'm not entirely superstitious, but sometimes you just have to wonder!

M o x i e B o d y

Ladies and gentlemen, I am a business owner. I went to City Hall on Monday morning and paid for a business license, putting M o x i e B o d y officially in business. (Although I'm really not going to turn a profit anytime soon so perhaps I should say I'm a tax-shelter owner. Hey, whatever works.)

So what is M o x i e B o d y? It's the entity that will one day be my personal training business... ahem, side business. I am taking the ACE Personal Trainer certification exam on May 6. I can't remember ever looking forward to an exam date, but here in LizLand it's like May 6 is the new Christmas. Of course the test could be awful and then it would be the new Black Monday in LizLand, who knows. But right now I am looking forward to all the study and prep and the day I can take that test!

Speaking of excitement, we all know that I can get unusually exhilarated over the smallest things, so just imagine my monumental enthusiasm over this. However, I'd have to say that the best part about this is everyone else's excitement! Maybe I just have great friends and family who would support me no matter what I did, but this is the first time I feel like other people's excitment about something I want to do is greater than my own. And that is saying something.

In any case I have to thank Ginger Spice for encouraging me to do this, years ago. I know lots of you have also said I should do it - well, thanks everyone! Here I go!

MadLibs is STILL My Inspiration

I met MadLibs in 2001 while I was in Florida. I was there for the Dave Matthew's concert, he was a friend of Slug Brother's and was part of the group going to the show. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, a little on the quiet side but friendly nonetheless. There was something about him that I will never be able to quite put my finger on, but I liked him right away.

That winter, MadLibs met the crew up in Vermont for New Year's 2002. He was still the same quiet, friendly guy and he just kind of blended into the background. On New Year's Eve he and I got progressively more drunk together. In spite of our inebriation, at the end of the night we were the last two standing. We ended up having one of the best conversations I've ever had with someone else. Truth be told, I can't remember exactly what was said. But I took this from that chat: MadLibs and I decided that 2002 was going to be the year that we took control of our own destinies and turned our lives around.

I left VT after New Year's 2002 and went to Colorado to ski all winter. It was one of the most fun winters I've ever had. I came back to Atlanta and got a great new job. That summer I embarked on my weight loss trek. That fall I started seriously crawling my way out of the giant hole of debt I was in. I decided the hell with New Year's resolutions - I was just going to keep myself in a constant state of improvement from there on out. The whole time I kept thinking "Thanks, MadLibs!" I'm not going to pretend it was easy for me to do, it was a lot of effort but it certainly was a little easier knowing that someone else out there knew what I was up to.

Four years later, I rarely see MadLibs and it has been well over a year since I talked to him at all. But the memory of that New Year's conversation sticks with me and still inspires me to live my life the way I want to. So here are some of the things I was inspired to do in 2005:

* I went to Mardi Gras. Again. I was even invited up on a balcony on Bourbon Street!
* I learned - the hard way - never to date the bartender at your favorite drinking establishment.
* I maintained my weight loss.
* I discovered how wonderful Whistler, BC is.
* I went to Seattle and looked at it from the top of the Space Needle. We also found the Pike's Place Market and the apartment complex where they filmed the movie 'Singles.'
* I changed careers. Again.
* I GOT A MEDAL in my first triathlon!!
* I reduced my debt by 1/3.
* I took the GMAT and was accepted to grad school for my MBA.
* I saw one of the best shows I've ever seen, the U2 Vertigo Tour, here in Atlanta.
* I discovered Body For Liz.
* I became a bike commuter.
* I never settled.

2005 was a fantastic year for me. I am going to keep up this trend of personal improvement through 2006. One specific goal I have is to get certified as a personal trainer. Who knows what else I will do? ANYTHING is possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you MadLibs, for the inspiration.