blood, sweat, but no tears.

today was a busy, but productive day. i am tired of completing menial tasks. well, i suppose they're not so menial because my future depends upon them. for example, today i spent $56 at the post office to send important paperwork to the korean consulate in chicago...including my passport. i was leery about sending my passport away, but i had no choice. i need my visa and can't afford to spend 3 days in chicago waiting for it to process. today i also bought two heavy-duty suitcases. they are high sierra brand and are 3-in-1 suitcase/duffel/backpacks. lots of space, well-made, versatile...what more could a girl ask for? ...perhaps my favorite color (green), but i had to settle with blue. still easier to find than the generic black suitcase on the conveyor belt.

after running errands, i decided to go for a skate. i am planning on competing in the hayward inline marathon on august 9th. this will be my second inline marathon. the first was a couple years ago in duluth. i finished in 1 hour and 44 minutes, so this year i'd like to shave my time down to 1 hour and 35 minutes. i think i can do it. i bought new skates several weeks ago and they are super-fast! i decided to go with the bont semi-race skate. the boot isn't quite as low as an authentic race boot, so i still get a little ankle support. the best part is that i no longer get blisters every time that i skate. unfortunately, i fell about 4 minutes into my skate today. the worst part is that i skinned my knee about 3 weeks ago and it finally healed. well, now i damaged myself in the exact same spot. ughhh. despite the blood dripping down my leg, i decided to go ahead instead of turning around and going back home. i am glad that i continued because the pain was minimal and the weather was nice. it finally cooled down a bit and a light breeze helped evaporate the sweat.

only 3 more days of summer school. hard to believe that i have almost completed my first job that actually requires the use of my degree. can't wait for the paycheck...

notice all of the boxes. my life is being packed away. nah.
actually it's just materialistic stuff. the real "life" is coming to korea.

close-up of the new skates and the new injury.