An Introduction: Hello.

Okay, as promised, I'm actually doing it. I'm writing a blog.

There are several reasons behind it.

First and foremost, despite the fact that it's mid-March 2009, I usually still write "2008" on my checks, and even the occasional "2007." Even though I'm 23, lately, I've had to awkwardly pause, furrow my brow, and say, "Twenty-tree" when asked my age. Because I usually think I'm still twenty-two (hence the loss of an "h" in "tree"), and in a few months, it's going to be a lot harder to merge "two" and "four" together. Think about it: "twenty-twour" is much harder to disguise. And I don't even want to think about what twenty-five could sound like. So, like my header states, "time waits for no one." And, I'm hopeful that this will help ground me more in the present, instead of the past or the future or my to-do lists.

Secondly, I need some kind of outlet. Since I started running again in January, I have an insane amount of energy, which is nice (to some degree).

However, it's all relative, because right now I survive on 5-6 hours of sleep and a lot of coffee. And, with this new found energy, comes the fact that my brain and my mouth are both working in overdrive. (I'm trying to discern if all this energy is really new energy reserves or simply a constant caffeine kick.) So, I need an inanimate outlet to process some of my musings, instead of using the poor UPS worker, who just wanted to go home the other day, as my sound post:

There I came, waltzing into the post office one night, and proceeded to explain how "AHHHHHH...I have to go back to my car to get the packaging tape I just bought from Meijer. And how I was really sorry, but that had been happening all day - it all started when I locked my keys in the car that morning. Oh my gosh, I just need some sleep! And, where WAS my brain, seriously? Oh, could I expedite the purse I was sending to Seattle? It's a traveling purse I have with my high school friends and I was late in sending it out - oh, how much more was that? Okay, well, how about the purse, but not the book? Wait, what time do you close...?"

You get the picture (note: I'm not normally that spastic - that was a particularly crazy week).

Lastly, in the past couple of years, people have told me to write down the stories I tell. I've been told multiple times that my life is like a sitcom and/or comedy. The truth is, my life is pretty quote-on-quote "regular." Nothing too crazy happens to me. But, I find joy in sharing life and conversation and laughter with others. And, to be honest, sometimes I do find myself in the midst of strange/embarrassing/awkward situations, and I just have to share the love with others. Might as well laugh about it, because what else are you going to do? Sit in your room and eat a pint of cookie dough ice cream with a blanket over your head and hide under a fedora when you venture out in public? (Tempting, now that I think about it...and I do have a really great fedora.)

Truth be told, I secretly think people find my stories to be unique or interesting due to the presentation. It's about the facials and the vocal inflection and the side comments inserted throughout. Sometimes I do dramatic reenactments of emails to my friends. Really, you could make anything humorous. "Yesterday, I had lunch with an old work friend and met up with someone else at a coffee shop. Then, I took a two hour nap" could be hilarious with a couple of winks, dramatic pauses, major inflection, a side comment and some eye popping. You should try it. It's genius.

So, here we are, March 15th, 2009. My first official, standard blog post will be up in the next 24 hours. No, this was not it. This was the introduction - note the title. Try to hold out that long. I know it'll be difficult. If you're having a hard time waiting, kill some time by making a standard email or voicemail really funny and then act it out for someone, in full costume. It'll be entertaining, I promise.

'Til next time,

Nicole