Stephany Writes

Categories: Recurring Series

Confessions, Part 5

1. I can’t stand the word “totes”. I know a ton of people use it, but it sounds totally teeny-bopper.

2. I’ve only had froyo once, and it was plain with sprinkles on top. And it was nasty. Last weekend, I found out that a mall near me is opening a PINKBERRY! Color me excited!

3. I’ve had a Kindle sitting in my shopping cart on Amazon for over a month now. I’m still undecided. (Convince me?)

4. Sometimes, I get consumed with thoughts of Dutch dying. I really don’t know how I’m going to handle it. He’s like an extension of me.

5. I am extremely worried that I’ll still be working at my preschool months after I graduate. I don’t hate my job there, but I am most definitely ready for something new.

6. Yesterday, I found out the reason for my phone battery draining so quickly: Ubersocial, my Twitter app on my phone. I had it set to auto-refresh every minute and didn’t exactly see the little disclaimer that said setting auto-refresh for anything less than every 5 minutes with severely drain your battery. Uh…whoops?

7. I can’t bring myself to give away a baby doll I had since I was 7.

8. As much as I loved supporting her, the day of my mom’s marathon was the worst day of my life. I was running on no sleep or food and worried the entire time about her. Plus, it was cold and we were outside for 8+ hours. I’m so incredibly proud of her and loved being in that environment, but next time, I’m doing things a lot differently.

9. I could never have another drop of alcohol and I would be absolutely fine. The same can not be said about soda.

10. I’ve never gotten anything aside from a Frappuccino from Starbucks. I don’t drink coffee on a regular basis, and it’s always more of a treat when I end up getting something from there. Fraps taste like a coffee milkshake!

11. I’m finding running 100% more enjoyable now that I’m running for fun, and not for a ridiculous goal.

12. In September, I had my running gait analyzed and found out I’m a bad overpronater. So I bought stability shoes and now I think I’m supinating, due to the way the bottom of my shoes have worn away. My feet are weird.

13. I’m currently playing 13 Words With Friends games. I’m a bit addicted. (Add me? Username is stephanywrites and I promise I’m an easy opponent. Heh.)

14. I haven’t been to the movies since May, when I saw Letters to Juliet.

15. There are 66 days until my cruise but it’s hard to get excited about it when I’m caught up in another semester of school. But after graduation? Oh, it’s on!

What are some of your confessions today?

Categories: Recurring Series

Ten on Tuesday (The Name Game)

1. How did your parents decide on your name?
My father originally wanted to name me Doogabock. I’m not sure of the spelling because it’s not a real word. Luckily, my mom vetoed that nomination but wanted my name to be a little different, so I wound up with Stephany. I hated it growing up, but I’ve grown to love the unique spelling.

2. Do your initials (First, Middle, Last) spell out anything funny?
No. It spells out SMR, which always makes me think of the Smurfs.

3. Did you taken your middle name from childhood or did you take your maiden name as your middle name? (If unmarried, what do you plan to do?)
I’m taking my husband’s last name when I eventually marry. I have no connection to the last name I currently have and pretty much hate it. (It’s super German and nobody pronounces it right!) I would probably drop my last name, if I can do that. Just keep my first and middle name the same, with my husband’s name as my last name.

4. Are you or will you name your children thematically (i.e., same first letter, all of the same origin…)
I’ve known quite a few families that have all their children’s names the same first letter. I think it’s kind of cute. I don’t know if I’ll end up doing the same, but it is an option I would consider. Right now, the whole multiple kids ordeal is so far in the future, I’m not even thinking about it.

5. Did you decide on baby names as a little girl? Did you stick to them or change your mind?
Not as a little girl, but probably around fifth grade was when I started really thinking about baby names. I used to be obsessed with them! But my favorites would change rather frequently, so I expect the names I do settle on for my babies will be a lot different than I imagined.

6. Does your family have any names that have been passed down through generations?
No. I mean, my brother does have my dad’s name but they have different middle names. And he didn’t carry on the name to his son.

7. Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?
Honestly, I don’t put too much stock in meanings. I think they’re important, but not so much that it hinders my decisions. For example, the name “Mallory” is one I love and it’s the name of a cousin of mine. Meaning? “Ill-omened.” Meanings carry very little weight for me.

8. Do you name pets with human names (Sally, Henry) or with pet names (Fluffy, Mr. Bo Bo)?
With all the dogs I’ve had (Minnie, Buford, Dutch), they’ve all been named previously so I had no input on that. (Although I did name the dog next door Rory, because he looks like one.) I had a bird, once, that I named Rachel. And a hamster named Shadow (from Homeward Bound…). I also had fish that I named Jack, Rose, Ti, and Tanic. I am nothing if not original. (And I also had a strange obsession with Titanic as a fifth-grader.)

9. Are there any names you have an affinity or dislike based on a childhood experience/someone you once knew?
There are a few names I’ve taken off my list thanks to other people having the same name. Sometimes, it just ruins the name, you know? And then there’s the names I used to hate due to knowing someone with the name, but then grew to love after knowing someone else with the same name.

10. What are some of your favorite names? Why?
I can’t give a reason to why I like these names so much, but I just love them. For girls: Aubrey, Bailey, and Lucia. For boys: Levi, Jonah, and Noah.

*Hosted by Chelsea

Categories: Recurring Series

Odds and Ends, the March Edition

  • It feels like anytime I write a post on how sometimes I need to step away from blogging to focus on other things, life always calms down enough for me to connect back with my blog. That’s what happened this week. While I talked about needing to step away, I managed to find time this week to post six times since Saturday. Funny how that works.
  • On my Ten on Tuesday post, I talked about how sucky my Blackberry’s battery is. Here’s the proof: yesterday, I took my phone off the charger at 6:10am (fully charged). I locked the screen and did not touch it until 10:15am to find that two and a half of my bars were gone. I had Twitter updates and e-mails from both my personal and school accounts but how do I lose that much power if I’m not even using it? I turned it off at 11am until 12:15pm and by 1:30pm, my battery was completely drained. That is how bad this battery life is. I wasn’t even using it fully during the time it was turned on, just every now and then. I have turned off all LED notifications and wifi, since I use the Sprint network. I close out of my programs the right way, not just clicking off them. I just got this phone in August and had to get a new battery because the one I had before was bad. I want to get my battery checked out again, but I’m learning that it might just be this type of phone. And if so, I really wish they would let me get something new. What do you think? Is it worth it going up to a Sprint store to get the battery checked out?
  • I tried going for a walk yesterday with my dog, but my heart really wasn’t into it. It put me in an awful mood for the rest of the night. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to work out unless I know I’m going to feel it. There’s a saying that you never regret waking up early to go to the gym, but you always regret not going. For me, it’s such a false statement. I regret a lot of workouts because I don’t put my full heart and soul into them. Going for a walk around my neighborhood isn’t a workout. A part of me wanted to take off on a full run, but a bigger part knew what a terrible idea that would have been. And I know I do need to still take it easy. Even though I’m feeling much better, I’m still not completely healed. I still have the blisters and they still sting from time to time. I have to stop putting so much pressure on myself, which I think is the biggest thing I’ve learned from this virus.
  • I am completely enraptured with American Idol again. I tried to boycott, but I love this show. I wasn’t happy with the hiring of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, but they are actually pretty good! I still miss Simon, especially when they try to be too nice. Sometimes, I just want raw truth. Favorites so far? Casey, Scotty, Paul, and Jacob. No girls really stick out for me. The boys are so much better this year.
  • I’m making some big, huge changes to my blog in the next few months. I’ve cleaned up my sidebar a little, leaving it pretty minimalist. I’m still playing around with it, which I think is one of the most fun things about having a blog. Another big change is that I’m having a custom design! One of the girls I have a huge blog crush on is working with me to create a brand-new design. I’m really excited about it, because I have no doubt she’s going to do an amazing job.
  • Oh, and the biggest news? I bought my own domain name! I bought it through Blogger because it was the easiest way to go. Earlier on, I had thoughts of switching to WordPress and buying a domain through them, but Blogger makes is so user-friendly. And since I love Blogger (my only complaint is I wish they had password-protected posts), sticking with them was an easy decision. I am a little confused about if you need to resubscribe to my feed, although my .blogspot will redirect to my domain name. Anybody know?
  • This week has seemed the longest in the history of ever. I am so glad it’s finally Friday. I can’t wait to catch up on sleep, finish my short story (any takers to look it over and give me feedback?), and do some shopping.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Categories: Recurring Series

Ten on Tuesday (On a Wednesday)



1. What type of cell phone do you have and how would you rate it?
I have a Blackberry Curve and it’s alright. I think my only complaint about it is the battery life because it honestly doesn’t last more than 3-4 hours, even if I use it minimally. Most likely, I’m going to get the EVO in August when my contract is up for renewal. My mom has the EVO Shift and I’m pretty much in love.

2. What has been your most serious injury?
This past summer, when I sprained my ankle. It was a pretty bad sprain and I don’t think I did it any favors by walking around Aquatica and Sea World on it. It had a pretty good bruise on it, which makes me wonder if I actually broke it, but it ended up healing on its own. I took about three weeks off exercise to make sure it was 100% healed. Sometimes, if I bend my ankle too much in the direction I sprained it in, it hurts.

3. What is one movie you hate and why?
There are actually quite a few. I hated Napoleon Dynamite and then there was that movie Stealing Harvard with Tom Green. Awful! I saw it with a bunch of friends and had to pretend I really liked it because they did.

4. How many e-mail addresses do you have?
Just two. I have my personal one, also connected with this blog. And I have the one I use for school. I really need to make a third one for my more “professional” life, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.

5. What website do you waste the most time on?

Most definitely, Google Reader. I spend way too much time catching up on blogs but it’s also something I love to do. I don’t know how I lived before Reader. Seriously.

6. What Mexican restaurant makes the best salsa?
Beats me. I’m not a fan of Mexican food so I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

7. What is your dream car?
Honestly, any car would be good right now. My mom has been so incredibly awesome to let me use hers for work and school, but I know she wants her car back! It’s one of the first big, adult purchases I’ll be making once I have a big, adult job.

8. If you could spend up to $100 with no strings or restrictions or guilt, what would you buy?
A Kindle! I’ve been on the fence about e-readers but since everyone who has one loves it, I can’t stop thinking about getting one. It would be so useful on my cruise in May!

9. What is your favorite board game?
Trivial Pursuit! My whole family hates it, but I absolutely love this game! Also, Apples to Apples is so much fun with a group.

10. How often do you change your hairstyle?
Pretty often. I have to pay a good chunk of change for my haircuts, so I always want to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth! Every time I go to get a haircut, I always want to do something wild and crazy. Usually, it’s never anything more than a slightly shorter style or bangs, but it’s always something.

*Hosted by Chelsea

Categories: Recurring Series

February Wrap-Up

February has been a pretty lackluster month. It’s been filled with training runs, homework, work, and classes. It’s also been a pretty beautiful month, weather-wise. We had a brief cold spell where the temps dropped into the 50s. (I KNOW! And we complained. We are winter wimps.) Other than that, it’s been hitting the upper 70s most days with a slight breeze – perfect weather.

Looking back, February has had its share of ups and downs…

  • The Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl. I was really rooting for the Packers to win, mainly because I think Aaron Rodgers is adorable but also because the Steelers have won enough and it’s time for some fresh faces! It was a great game with an awesome outcome. (But it’s not looking good for a 2011 NFL season. I’m getting worried.)
  • My mom and I booked our cruise! I’m over the moon about our upcoming cruise in late May and cannot wait to travel a little! I’ve never been out of the Eastern timezone so I think it’s going to be a memorable five days, to say the least.
  • I developed shingles. AKA adult chicken pox. It’s no fun, but definitely not as painful as people are telling me. I’m uncomfortable, but my pain is minimal. I think the most annoying part of it is the pills I have to take five times a day. Yuck.
  • I’m down 7 pounds. It wasn’t a stellar month for weight loss, but I did stick to the plan every week. I’m not positive much weight loss will occur until I’m recovered from my shingles, but I just want to stick to the plan as best I can and track, track, track! I’m losing it slowly, but I’m losing it nonetheless.
  • I decided to take a big step back from blogging. No more five posts a week for me! I really need to focus on school, getting well, and learning how to de-stress better. I know blogging can get stressful for me when I try to stick to a rigid schedule so it’s back to posting when I can for me.
How did your February turn out?