ftk.

As a Gator, there is one thing you know for sure about the Spring in the Swamp: DANCE MARATHON.  It may happen in the spring, but it is introduced in early fall & then practically force fed to you throughout the course of the school year.  As a freshman you're overwhelmed by whatever Dance Marathon (DM) is, but by the time April rolls around, you are practically singing FTK & breathing generosity.  At least that's what seemed to happen to me...

You kinda just get wrapped up in all the happiness that surrounds the event.  All the tabling, flyering, fundraising, time, & energy that is soaked up into this marathon weekend.  Individuals raise hundreds to thousands of dollars for his or her chance to stand for 26.2 hours for those who can't & to be a part of a life changing experience for children who visit Shands right here in Gainesville.

I mustache you to Dance!

Last year I decided that I wanted to dance for the opportunity... but I didn't just leave with the memories of another college notch on my belt, I left knowing I actually made a difference for kids.  Standing for 26.2 hours ain't easy by the way... it might have actually been one of the hardest experiences of my life.  I haven't run a marathon before, but 26.2 hours of no sleep, caffeine, or sitting may just be a fair challenge.  But it was worth it.   

Anyway, let me tell you a little bit about what Dance Marathon really is.  It is a 26.2 hour philanthropy that supports the the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN) nationally.  Shands Children's Hospital has been a part of CMN for almost 20 years & is the most successful student-run philanthropy in the Southeastern United States.  CMN helps kids all over the country have the life they deserve.  During DM, the "miracle children" tell their stories about how Shands Hospital & CMN saved their lives, giving them opportunities they never thought they would have.  UF students bend over backwards to make the "miracle children" feel loved & right at home in our Gator Nation all year long.  The families leave with both a healthier child & a larger, more extended family as well.  It is a truly eye-opening experience.  You just can't believe how strong people are when they seem so vulnerable & fragile.  It puts things into perspective.

Oh! & you might be asking what FTK means... FOR THE KIDS baby!
   


So... here's my proposal:  I will make you a Dance Marathon shirt for $8 if you provide me with the blank slate (aka the shirt... preferably in a light color so the design will show up).  Or if you live further away (i.e. it needs mailing/the purchase of a shirt by me) the price is $18 per shirt! You pick the design, I make you a shirt. Badda Bing Badda Boom.  Everyone is happy... especially the KIDS!

If you are interested in a shirt or just want to donate, you can follow this link to my personal donation page: http://floridadm.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1074420&supid=344031142 Being a part of DM, no matter how big or small, makes a huge difference for a small child! BE THAT DIFFERENCE!  Thank you!

Below I have a few examples of some of the shirts I've made if you are interested.  If you are... you know what to do!  (Walmart sells very cheap plain t-shirts if you were curious!)    

If you wanna talk business with me, feel free to get in contact

A big shout out to my models, Kerry Leonard, Katie Moore & Rebecca Coombs!

& on a cheesy note, I have awkwardly created a song for your singing pleasure.  I would have included an audio portion too, but I didn't think my beyond sub-par singing voice would be positive PR for my rad shirts! (*insert laugh here) 

[sing to the "Brady Bunch" theme song... or else]

Here's a story of a great fundraiser,

That's bringing in some very lovely funds.

All of them come from your heart, and your love.

Any amount saves tons. 

Here's a story of the very beginning,

When Dance Marathon was just a baby trend.

It was born to, help the kids get better.

But now it will never end.

Till one day when the C.M.N. met Shands

And they knew that it was much more than a chance,

That these two could somehow form a marathon.

That's the way we all made the Stance to Dance,

The Stance to Dance,

The Stance to Dance.

That's the way we all made the Stance to Dance.

Last year's DM total! First time breaking A MILLION at UF!

I hope you enjoyed this post & it put some thoughts of "giving" into your hearts! FTK!

& if you need a way to contact me, you can comment on this blog post & I will respond ASAP or send me a message via facebook!

If you like what you see here, please share this post with your friends :) 

http://floridadm.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1074420&supid=344031142

Ciao-

be bold.

Life is about being bold & living a little bit.  I may be in college & I may be working now for a "better, brighter future," but that future can only get a little brighter if I include a little bolder.  Those "whim" moments make life interesting & spontaneous.

Like that time you jumped onto the motorcycle even though you knew your mom would kill you (*ahem* mom), or that time you went skydiving & told your parents after that you lived to tell the tale, or that time you got that boy's number because one dance was not enough.  That's what life is all about. LIVING!    

It's okay to step outside your comfort zone & get a little crazy.  I found this sticker once in a funky store in Asheville that said, "Let your inner kid out to play."  I don't know why it spoke to me, but I liked it.  & when I look at that sticker, it reminds me that breaking out of that collegiate shell every once in a while during a blue moon is a-okay!

Now I know what you are probably saying... Rachele, I know you & you are NOT crazy.  & honestly, you'd be right.  I am no "crazy connoisseur" & I really like how plans make me breathe a little easier & keep my week by week life on track.  If I didn't have my planner/agenda & my morning runs on lock down I might explode, BUT I do let that inner kid in me out to play & I try to step out of my comfort zone now & again.  It ain't easy, but it's worth it!

The PROOF ladies & gentlemen

If you don't believe me than I will do my best to persuade you... I rarely go out.  I dance like people ARE watching.  I love staying home, snuggling with a warm blanket & reading or watching a movie with friends.  I like my mom's opinion.  I struggle with extensive decision-making.  I like the second opinion (& the third), but I hate it when the second & third opinions I begged for don't match up.  I like neatness & planning in advance.  & I like 3 meals a day.  My life sounds pretty straight forward & not very spontaneous... but every once in a while, I put on my "hipster" glasses (I am a poser... pretender if you are my dad), & I "dance like no one's watching.

About these glasses... they have magical powers.  They are kind of like the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants."  They look good on everyone & they accompany some of the best memories.

If you are feeling like spontaneity is not when of your things, like it is a struggle for me... maybe you should purchase some invisible glasses (only 10 Euro at your local Roman vendor station).  They hold the crazy & make you believe no one is watching.  & let's be honest... all those "watchers" are probably just as scared as you are.  Actually they are probably more scared of you (& probably jealous because of the whole glasses thing) than you are of them!

In other words... get out there & live!  I am working on taking my advice as well... this is a personal motivator as well as a public proposal.  Let's all try a little bit harder to make life count!

Ciao-

mundane.

It's funny because your life tends to follow a routine... between waking up & eating dinner, nothing truly remarkable happens in a normal day.  I often sit in front of my blinking cursor wondering, did I do anything worth blogging about today?  Usually nothing gets written because the mundane occurrences of every day life don't seem all that exciting & honestly, it's hard to express "normal" when you have had the opportunity to express "great." 

Everyone wants that outrageous day to talk about... those semesters in Italy, those crazy instances of serendipity, that time you learned how to drive for the first time, New Years Eve, that time your cat knocked over the laundry detergent & caused quite the scene, when you won the championship soccer match, & 21st birthdays.  Because those days are memorable.  You know exactly what happened on those days of your life because they stood out against the rest, they meant something bigger than a scheduled day at school.  Usually I can't even remember what I had for breakfast because it was all just so... MUNDANE.  You could have done it with your eyes closed.

Recently I watched a movie called, "About Time" (with Rachel McAdams... if that peeks your interest), which explored a man's life who was diagnosed with the ability to time travel.  I don't know exactly what was so moving about that film, but it delved into the  concept that I love so dearly & try myself to live by... "living in the moment."

At first the main character's process was erratic & left him pulled in so many different directions, but then he realized that living each day twice let him enjoy the simplicities & greatness of the mundane.  He finally closed with this perspective on life: "The truth is I now don't travel back at all, not even for the day, I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day, to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life."

If every day were Christmas or New Years, it would become mundane as well... that is what makes these marked moments on our calendars so special.  However, to get from point A to point B, we must sift through the mundane life has to offer.  & I will tell you, the mundane is actually what makes life so great.  Without it you wouldn't really be living at all.

The advice "About Time" offered inspired me to look at life in all it's simplicity.  To notice the little things... even if some of them weren't all that great, because each instance is what makes you YOU.

Ciao-   

my best friend.

Let me tell you a few things about my best friend:
1. he is the cutest,
2. he has beautiful blue eyes,
3. he has the most loving heart,
4. he is super funny,
5. he loves his cereal,
6. he is beyond stylish,
7. he is in love with my grandma,
8. he is 88 years old,
9. he is my grandfather, &
10. his name is FRED.

Grandpa Fred has obviously been in my life long before my life even existed, but as long as I have existed, Grandpa Fred has been my best friend.  I blame him!  He turned to me one day & said, "Are you my best friend?"  & obviously the answer was (& still is) YES!  To this day he knows who his best friend is. We are just 2 peas in a pod! 

See! Best friends since the beginning!

He is a man of many habits... habits that have defined him practically my entire life.  He ALWAYS wakes up wearing his pajama shorts set, he ALWAYS showers & gets pretty right away, he ALWAYS blow drys his hair, he ALWAYS eats his "Grandpa Fred's cereal" of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, Raisin Bran, & half a banana, he ALWAYS has a glass of water with him at ALL times, he ALWAYS wears his white tennis sneakers, he ALWAYS gets coffee at McDonald's (pays sometimes with "refillable" cups & makes friends with the managers), he has ALWAYS been a neat freak (napkins in the car, garages cleaner than bedrooms, & cabinets shut before you have a chance to look up), he has ALWAYS been stylish & devilishly handsome, he has ALWAYS been active & he has ALWAYS been a man who everybody loves to be around.

It has always been a running joke in our family that my mom once said, "I'm so glad WE married Fred" because he bought her a brand new car.  But in reality, that is far from a joke because Grandpa Fred is the best.  I mean what would we do without him?  Heck, "I'm so glad WE married Fred."  He is good to everyone; good to my adorable Grandma, his three children, my mom & her sisters, & of course ALL of his grandchildren, like me!  Also, he makes everyone feel like you are HIS favorite, like you're the only one that matters (but I know the truth... I'm the favorite! Shhh, don't tell anyone!).    


Anyway, this past semester I had the pleasure of spending a whole (surprise) weekend with my grandparents.  It was a quick decision, but one weekend I packed up my bags & headed toward St. Pete for an impromptu visit.  I called their house phone as I pulled into their driveway, walked up to the front door with my grandma on the phone, knocked, & waited for the surprise.  She walked up to her frosted front door & said, "who is it?"  I responded with "me," which apparently was not enough information because she retorted with a "who's me?"  It took her a few minutes to register the name Rachele because coincidentally she was on the phone with that same person.  She cocked her head in confusion & yelled out to grandpa that his best friend was here (he didn't need any other explanation  because he only has one best friend... Duhhh).  I walked into the kitchen & he just stared at me like, wait... what?

Heist complete! I foiled the grandparents!  They never saw it coming!  But the weekend was a success & my favorite part was seeing that grandpa's "wit & wink" tactics were still going on strong.  He was always a jokester & sometimes my grandma just misses the punch line (we love her that way!!!)... & when that happens, I get this knowing wink from my best friend (we tricked her again!).  His secret is safe with me!  There is so much youthful energy in my best friend!

But I will tell you, one of the fondest memories I have of my best friend was the time we took a pit stop at Publix for a few provisions.  My grandma popped in while my grandpa & I hovered around the lot waiting for her.  We were parked in front of the store when she walked out & headed for the car.  My grandpa stared for a moment & looked back at me with pure love in his eyes & said, "Isn't she just the most beautiful gal you've ever seen?"

I don't think I will ever forget the day he said that to me.  Somehow it was moving & made me think back to the "I'm so glad we married Fred" because I know my life (& everybody's lives) wouldn't be half as perfect without Grandpa Fred!  We aren't just glad he's in our lives, we are lucky! 

To end this post, I would like to show off more of his charm with a story my Aunt posted on Facebook: He was sitting in the hospital when the CEO walked in to make sure he was comfortable.  He asked if there was anything else my grandpa would like & he responded with a joking twinkle in his eye, "you could bring me an ice cream sundae."  Can you guess what happened?  Yep.  My grandpa won over the hospital staff too & dined on a perfectly good hot fudge sundae.

Life is good when Grandpa Fred is part of your life. Love you BEST FRIEND!