feeling defeated due to the overwhelming college work this week that i began to doubt my plans and dreams...but a moment of peace (i know it's cheesy) came while driving to work last friday and a song came on the radio reminding me that somehow i was being disciplined for far greater things to come...and like the many races i've run, this one will certainly include some major hills to climb...

very excited about the next run in february (my first race this year)...for the first time in 9 long years looks like i'll be able to enjoy the company of many others running between the Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium (8 miles)....it's a fun run that i've missed since working for the Advertiser in 2000....well, this year i got the day-off finally (must be seniority, haha)....

A new year, new semester, new beginnings....first day of classes today and already feeling overwhelmed...great start though: my microbiology instructor is a young lady (probably even younger, no wait, im sure she's alot younger than me!) who seems approachable and very knowledgeable..(in addition to being one of the nicer professors around campus so i hear)...like last sem, most of my classmates today looked just like they're fresh from high-school! it's not so bad when my classmates look like they could be my kids, but when the professor looks too young to be my mother? mid-life crisis is so happening!

just because i can, doesn't mean i will.............a simple revelation but made an impression to me....i had planned to take a break from school, work, the hectic holidays, etc, and i wanted to take a quick tokyo trip to get my ramen fix..and then it hit me.....yes, i know flights are full after the new years, but more than that, i thought why do i NEED to go in the first place? do i need to jump on a plane every instance i get?...no...and it was refreshing to be able to walk away from my plans and simply say..im going some other time and be at peace about it! for my ramen cravings on the other hand, there's a good japanese restaurant down the road from my place.....