Jenny Lawson is evil. EVIL, I say.

So, I had that total Red Dress Moment, where it did exactly what I needed it to do. It brought me to a place where I could grant myself that moment of silliness, of strength, of… well, all those things I got out of wearing a red dress for a few hours.

That led to me doing GISHWHES. I can’t even begin to tell you what that did for me. It really was life changing. I am not the same person I used to be before that.

And now, I have the “silly” goal of earning my “GORUCK Tough” patch for my new GR1.  It HAS to be earned. By passing the Challenge, which is ~20 miles and ~10 hours of what is basically a slice of Special Forces training. I’m nowhere near in shape enough for this, so I just emailed a gym. My goal is the March 16th challenge in Boston, by I may travel to do a later one. (For more info: The GORUCK Challenge)

Yes, I justified dropping $300 on a backpack. Made in the USA, made for combat, made by a company led by a pretty fucking awesome person (or so I’m told, but that intel is from someone I really trust). Yeah, it’s a $300 backpack, but it’s so much more than that…

Who would have thought that wearing a red dress would lead to so many positive changes and a return to who I really was before the bipolar took hold and basically ruined my life?

O.M.G. I HAVE LOST MY MIND.

Shut up, Peanut Gallery.

First up, another piece of ‘brilliance’ from the mad mind of Misha Collins.

And secondly… THIS. I have no idea why except it took root in my head one day and I said “I want to be able to say I did it.”

I’m going to blame Jenny and G.I.S.H.W.H.E.S. for this.

Hell, while I’m blaming people for my new descent into insanity, I might as well blame Katniss Everdeen.

I don’t know… maybe it took hitting miles below rock bottom and clawing my way out to fully understand that the red dress IS more than just a red dress… The traveling red dress isn’t always red.  It isn’t even always a dress.  It’s anything you’ve always wanted but denied yourself because you thought it was too silly.  It isn’t.  Joy is always worth it.  Go and find your personal red dress, my friend.

And wear the hell out of it.

I can handle anything Misha throws at me, but the GORUCK Challenge just might kill me… and I know either way I’ll come out the other side just fine and dandy.

This is what GISHWHES looks like

For the record, Guinness had way more fun with this one than I did.

Bye, Team Fancypants

This has been the most insane, empowering, insane week of my life…

I’ve done things I never thought I’d do with people I’ll most likely never meet in person.

The GISHWHES experience is something I think everyone should try at least once.

It has changed me in ways I didn’t think were possible.

I know I’m doing it again next year and I can’t wait!

Is it true that Misha does a striptease to “Carry on My Wayward Son”?

And so it begins…

“Post a thread to MC’s IMBD board asking a personal question about him…”

There’s 151 things on this list for our team of 15 to do… LOTS of things involving Kale, Cheese, Legumes, and Kant.

I had no idea who Kant was… I do now. And now I need to find some chalk to prove it. *grin*

My next big item to attempt: Find a yoga studio who will let me join a class while wearing a ski jacket, goggles, mittens and SKIIS. In a yoga class.

I thought my red dress moment was wearing the red dress… Oh, fuck. I’m a fool.

GISHWHES is my red dress moment. This is the best, craziest, most creative thing I’ve ever done.

Suck on that, bipolar.