Since I've turned 25, the strangest thing has happened. I've been giving advice to my parents - sensing when things aren't quite right, really listening to their problems, feeling like we've reached a level where we're both adults. Not just blabbing on and on about my own life, my middling problems, my inability to grow up, to change, to be an actual adult. But in my own way, I am becoming an actual adult. Slowly, I'm maturing. My maturation has been very strange all my life. My body matured far faster than for what I was prepared - a cruel folly by nature. Socially and mentally, not as fast. I've always felt a little behind my age - like I really should still be in college instead of being half a century.

But talking with my mother tonight - probing when she brushed off my initial inquiry, knowing that she wasn't quite herself (she didn't sound as chipper or as open), then she finally came clean about what was bothering her and we talked about it. It felt good to have her open up to me because for the longest time I've felt like I as taking advantage of our relationship, although she would never say she was sick of hearing me whine and cry. It's a "mother's job" apparently.

Point of the story is, I like where my life is going now. Small steps.

There is a solution! (And it starts with you)

(How corny is that?)

Seriously, though. Check out this website. http://blueplanetrun.org/. We are about to embark on a 15,200 mile journey around the world in order to raise awareness and funds for safe drinking water projects. Did you know that one out of every five people lacks access to safe drinking water? For just $30 you can provide safe drinking water for one person for life. That's a pretty small price to pay for such a huge, longterm benefit.

When I say "we," I literally mean "we." Me and several others at K___ are doing the public relations for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, meaning we drum up media interest in the Run and the cause both nationally and internationally. That is sort of giving you the bottom line, but essentially the gist of my role.

My role beginning June 1st, however, will be a more active one as I am actually going on the first two weeks of the Run! This means I'll be in Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Phew! I'll be attempting to update as much as possible during this trip, so please check back often. I have NO clue what I'm doing, so the events will literally be unfolding on the web! :)

My schedule is below (dates are dd/mm). Follow me!

Ireland:
Shannon 04/06
Limerick
Roscrea
Portlaoise
Dublin 05/06

United Kingdom:
Holyhead
Bangor
Shrewsbury
Stratfor-Upon-Avo 06/06
Banbury
Oxford
High Wycombe
Uxbridge
London 07/06
Gravesend
Faversham
Ashford
Folkestone
Dover

France:
Calais
Boulogne
Abbeville 08/06
Beauvais
Pontoise
Paris 09/06
Roissy
Crepy-en-Valois
Noyon
St. Quentin

Belgium:
Mons 10/06
Bruxelles
Mechelen
Oostmalle
Antwerp

Holland:
Terneuzen 11/06
Breda
Rotterdam
Amsterdam 12/06
Kampen
Zwolle
Coevorden

Germany:
Meppen
Cloppenburg
Bremen 13/06
Stade
Hamburg 14/06
Ludwigslust
Perleberg
Kyritz
Nauen
Berlin 15/06

nostalgia

an oldie but a goodie. i miss you, jen!

Amanda's 24th

we make funny faces

Mish & Todd NYC

Googling

Was Googling myself [insert self-centered remark here - but really, who hasn't] last night and found the results a little disconcerting. The first was a photo of me and some other media people at the MTV Networks Upfront Party in 2005 (didn't get my photo taken in 2006).

The second result was for some girl at Mount Union College, which is honestly too close for comfort.






The THIRD, however, was my entry (seriously, I wrote this entire thing) into the Creative Media Awards for the Lamisil AT "Step Up" program. Take a look at this - please excuse the terrible format. For some reason, none of the proper punctuation was translated:
http://www.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fa=cmaSub.user_viewEntry&aid=1101

We should've won, right? Without even looking at the other entries, you know we should've won. Lamisil AT's name is synonymous with one of the leading sportnews journals, for goodness sake. How is the not the most creative and fantastic branding venture an over-the-counter antifungal medication could ever hope to achieve??

And then there are about 16 entries for some chick with my name who's a fantastic runner.

And that's all.