Show Up. Then Keep Showing Up.

“Keep Showing Up” is the phrase Des Linden, an American long distance runner, and previous winner of the Boston Marathon uses to share how persistence and literal grind kept her working toward her goals.

Case in point –

While most youth and young adults return to the school routine in the coming weeks, it is not lost on me that this will be my final August in school (committee granting). Although I’m a career-college student, I have future sights set on leadership development opportunities and other federal civil service broadening goals. The support of children and even adult children from their parents is also not lost on me. I remember the summer before I entered college for the first time – my spouse at the time attended a preliminary day of getting paperwork in order, participating in meet-and-greets, getting to know the campus, etc. It was weird how each time the students and parents/spouses/support system groups came back together, I never saw my spouse. After the third interaction, I began to get worried. He never called or tried to find me. 6+ hours later, when the day was finished, I walked out to the parking lot and found him inside the vehicle, casually sitting there. I asked what happened and was everything ok. He stated (paraphrasing) he didn’t want to be there around weirdos with goals in life and he was bored so he left. In my stunned silence, the feeling of being unsupported was overwhelming. I don’t think he ever understood what education and goals meant to me.

Fast forward some years, I enthusiastically helped someone enroll in college for the first time. Maybe I made it seem easy, maybe I talked it up too much, maybe I’m just the “weirdo” but their first semester seemed to go well. The next semester not so much. Toward the middle/end of the semester, I noticed they weren’t talking about their classes or having typical school-centered conversations yet we’d meet at the same places we always did, after our classes ended. Eventually, it was disclosed they hadn’t been attending any classes at all…driving to campus, parking, then never exiting the vehicle. No communication with their professors, or me. Just stopped showing up. Again, in my stunned silence, I was heartbroken. Why wasn’t I told? What would make someone I cared about feel as if they couldn’t tell me college just wasn’t for them? In my heart, I know it created a rift I’ve never been able to fill.

To this day, I have no answers. And that’s ok. But when I see/hear/notice parents supporting those who value education, whether or not they have their own, I’m left feeling comforted. Because they keep showing up.

_________________

I ask you –

Is there a phrase you believe embodies your life philosophy? Mine is “Get it together!”

Do you have young or adult children getting ready to return to school?

Tell me your ideal role in facilitating education for someone in your life.

(The post Show Up. Then Keep Showing Up. first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Pre-Vacation

When the weeks are dragging on and you need a few interesting things to keep you wanting to get up, do stuff, adult. This is getting ridiculous.

Found this fascinating story regarding one of Sheppard AFB’s very own Airmen doing big things to benefit countless individuals: Air Force Tourniquet Belt.

I say “Call me if you need me!” a lot for someone who rarely, if ever, answers the phone when anyone calls. It’s a formality. Just text me like a normal person, ok?

Admittedly, I am the most ignorant person I’ve ever met. Ask me about the day I walked around with a huge vape thing in my hand because I picked it up outside thinking it was an old battery pack. It was pink. I probably should have known something was up.

Then, a staff member told me they had accepted a jewel in the lost and found and asked how to return it to its owner. Jewel. Upon further questioning, along the lines of who loses a jewel, it was carefully explained to me someone lost a brand of vape. How was I supposed to know?

Then, it took nearly 2 hours for McK and I to figure out how to put gas in the government vehicles. In our defense, the instructions were unclear, there were inoperable pumps with obscure signage (read: none), and we’ve never done this before! We lead from the front, for sure! However, I do appreciate the consistent vehicle drive-bys who didn’t ask if we needed help until the final task was completed. I’m not being sarcastic – I think we would have been affronted if some…man…had tried to help us. We are independent!

The requisite activity versus pages tracker:

We’re strongest in our struggles. Which is probably not how the saying goes but it feels as if everything leading up to vacation is a struggle.

_________________

I ask you –

Do you prefer calls or texts?

On a scale of 1 to who-let-you-out-of-your-cage, how ignorant are you?

Tell me your thoughts on independence!

(The post Pre-Vacation first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Word Count

You know how I know running really does quiet the circus inside my brain? Because I was unexpectedly involved in a very serious discussion immediately post-run and I could barely formulate words. Literally, mostly silence on my part. The remainder of what exited my mouth was weird utterances. It was awkward. I know I sounded like a bumbling whackadoo but I was floating in the clouds on a runner’s high and right then was not the time to have an impromptu discussion about lifesaving devices. Although it may have sounded like I required one.

A new ice cream flavor. Help!

Blue Bell Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake

During my recent grocery run, the store only had the newest flavor in 1/2 gallon form. For sure, if the pint had been available, I would have snatched it up. Much to my own detriment. Small favors. Vacation is coming up quick so I’ll save my indulgences for then. One Landshark. One pint of ice cream.

Word of the day: bespoke. Bespoke is a British term typically reserved for high fashion, but is used lately to mean customized. Example: He wore a bespoke suit. Or, a bespoke framework explains blah blah blah. The more you know.

Finally, I found it fascinating research shows how one of the factors of doctoral achievement are behavioral and psychological characteristics (personality, motivation). Maybe one day I can study this more.

_________________

I ask you –

Does exercise short circuit your brain, too?

What do you think about the new ice cream flavor? Would or have you tried it?

Tell me a word of the day!

(The post Word Count first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Master Haggler

(I haven’t yet figured out why the above photos are upside down and I don’t have the patience to troubleshoot at the moment. So, if you have a quick fix I’m unaware of, send it my way!)

The things we were forced to do as children are now the things we enjoy doing as adults. World spins around. Not saying thrifting is really something I’m into, but it was fun to recently visit Bowie Trade Days. I could hear my grandmother’s laugh in the trinkets and knickknacks. I could taste the cold, sweet lemonade. And I could smell my grandfather’s house amidst the booths and areas selling all kinds of treasures. I’m no haggler but it was nice to see it from an adult’s point of view.

Beyond haggling, farmer’s markets are really more my speed. Less haggling, more browsing. For example, Parts bought a bucket of peaches for $30. That’s roughly $1/peach. Seems reasonable. Considering the peaches were someone else’s labor of love and all I (she) had to do was buy them, sounds like a win to me! She’s no haggler either but I think she could hold her own.

Update – I fixed the photos but only from the app.

Alas, a haggler, master or otherwise, I am not.

It was quite the week! Wk 9 Tracker:

_________________

I ask you –

Thoughts on haggling?

Would you prefer a flea market or a farmer’s market?

Photo rotation advice, please. Word Press is giving me a headache.

(The post Master Haggler first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

This Girl Is…

Going Places!

Like to the office across the way, the one with a window to the hallway and very bright overhead, automatic lighting. Can we turn these down? Yes, I got the job.

While I was away in VA a few weeks ago, galivanting with the crabs and such, I won an award. Lovingly, Parts stepped up to accept it; unbeknownst to me, there was much fanfare and laughter associated with her acceptance. Not only was it announced that “Spare Parts” would be accepting it, but she also convinced the Commander to cover my name AND now the Chief will be submitting the above photo to the Wing for future consideration. As Parts tells it, since I abandoned her for weeks (slight exaggeration) then I either owed her a puppy or a sword. More to come.

Obviously we have a thing for old trucks

Never mind us though – Mini has surely been going places! From her time in Tennessee then to California and everywhere in between, she’s quite the traveler. As this may be her final summer in California, the adventures have been ramped up, from the Rio Grande to Belmont Park and Sea World to a dip in the Pacific Ocean and a trip to the Sequoia National Park, her traveling expanses make my head spin. What a wonderful life to live. I know driving is not her favorite way to travel; however, so much more can be seen when compared to flying and I love this stage in her life. The girl just wants to meet new people and go on adventures!

_________________

I ask you –

Do you have anyone in your life that encourages silly behavior? If not, you should!

Of the places I mentioned above, how many have you been to?

Tell me your favorite place to visit or a place you were excited to see!

(The post This Girl Is… first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Bucket o’ Butterflies

Can we talk about how the term catching feelings illicit the weirdest images in my head? For example, I see a man (always a man) running around the yard with a bucket in his hands waiting for butterflies to fall from the sky. What is “catching” feelings? How does one catch them? Isn’t it more of a choice? It’s just biology.

Can we also talk about how distraction disguised as self-care is not really caring for oneself at all? It is self-sabotage though. Distractions don’t make us feel better because we’re not identifying what our body/mind/soul really needs.

Case in point – after a particularly stressful encounter at work, I really wanted to disconnect for a few moments and escape. My go-to was to play on my phone and absentmindedly scroll. Instead (pretty proud of this one) I stopped and asked myself some questions…what are you feeling? what was the most challenging part of it? are you ok? do you feel safe? what do you need right now?

Believe it or not, I actively reflected on the experience and how I was feeling rather than avoiding thinking through it. It helped put into perspective my own thoughts and beliefs about what had just happened. Not once did I think I could have done something better and not once during the remainder of the day did I question my choices. For once, I didn’t let it get the best of me or let it control the day.

The real test is continuing this practice on days I’m more unaware of my stress levels. Challenging myself with questions related to self-care isn’t easy especially when I feel or think things are going well. Why even ask then? Because there’s always a feeling brewing under the surface and I like a good challenge.

Weekly report:

Wk 8: 23 additional pages

I would like to clarify though – 23 pages isn’t very accurate as the manuscript now includes many pages of feedback from last week’s chair review. The font is 9; alas, it does contribute to the high page count addition.

_________________

I ask you –

What term(s) do you use to describe when someone is developing feelings?

What is your go-to distraction method?

Tell me your thoughts on emotional analysis! Perhaps a bit tricky.

(The post Bucket o’ Butterflies first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Let’s Play in the Mud!

Mud volleyball – the only time when a sport requires less clothing rather than more. No knee pads. No shoes. No pants. No problem!

We didn’t win a single game but we had a great time! And as it probably isn’t the best look for any of us, I kept the photos smaller so as to protect the innocent. Thank you to Jaime, Allie, Darrell, and Robin for humoring me. I wouldn’t want to play in the mud with anyone else! It was definitely well over 100 degrees, but I stayed in the shade and did my best to stay hydrated.

_________________

No questions this time. I’m exhausted. Still. It is a long holiday weekend so hopefully I can get caught up. But I’m a doctoral candidate so never mind. My goal for next year is to put together a mud volleyball team early, then create fun uniform shirts like the pro’s wear.

(The post Let’s Play in the Mud! first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Things only a doctoral candidate would say –

I recognize I already made a post about preposterous things but I have a last minute addition: can you believe there’s published material not available as an e-book? Me neither! I was forced to dig for this book on the deep, dark webs just to find an affordable edition. Unfortunately, there’s no Ctrl+F option here.

Pleasant observation: 100 pages and counting! But who is? It seemed to be the first major hurdle: surpassing the 100 pg mark. As most dissertations are 300-400 pgs, I have many more pages to write before I sleep. Circa Robert Frost’ish. I’ve just recalled I’m expecting another textbook via mail because I had (read, was forced) to utilized interlibrary loan to obtain the book; it’s being shipped to me from my university’s library in Virginia. Oh yay, another book to peruse in my spare hours.

Relatedly: “Waiting is the answer we least want to receive because, in our hyper-rushed, instant gratification world, it doesn’t feel like a real answer.” Waiting isn’t really in my vocabulary. I don’t like to wait. I like to go! Alas, finding time to wait seems to be a struggle. Always the conundrum. On a recent leadership traits exercise with others supervisors, etc., we were instructed to choose the top trait (out of 20 options) we value in our own leaders, then choose our own strength and limitation. My top choice for my leaders was communication. My self-described strength was problem-solving; the trait I’m the worst at…patience. As I explained it, problem solving and patience are the light and dark of the world, nearly completely opposites. I’m a do’er, a fixer, a get-it-done-now; thus, I have very little patience for waiting.

I know I owe some weeks worth of trackers –

As I spent some time away, here’s the recap for activity vs pages written:

_________________

I ask you –

Do you prefer hard copy or digital books?

Thoughts on leadership trait analysis?

Tell me if you have patience in spades. Teach me your ways, Oh Wise One.

(The post Things only a doctoral candidate would say – first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Blue Bell Love Affair

You had me at ice cream –

Introducing Blue Bell Creameries, headquartered in beautiful Brenham, TX. Since I was a very young girl, I’ve always wanted to visit the place where my favorite ice cream is made. It really is a lovely community with a proper downtown, a few coffee options (Mescalito was fantastic!), and some amazing BBQ!

The tour of the ice cream facility ends with $1 scoops of Blue Bell. Life is so good. As we visited first thing in the day, ice cream was more of a breakfast option, which I think is perfect! Blue Bell is actually the name of a flower, which the founders of Blue Bell Ice Cream chose to name their business after.

(L) Buttered Pecan (R) Salted Caramel Brownie

We toured banks-turned-boutiques, museums, and even made a quick stop in Waco, TX, to check out the much loved Magnolia Market and Silos.

As the weekend capped off the return from VA and seeing my best friend, it was a whirlwind of sights and sounds. But the ice cream made it worth it.

this might be what Heaven looks like

———————

I ask you –

Have you ever visited Brenham, TX?

What’s your favorite ice cream or brand?

Tell me about a place you’ve toured!

(The post Blue Bell Love Affair first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

When the Cat’s Away…

It can be so difficult to make time outside of your home and work to reconnect with those friends who hold special pieces of your heart. But we did it!

My best friend, Sam

on the boardwalk where I almost died once

Just a few…a lot…of photos where we ate and drank our way through Ocean View.

There’s tons of other photos but we genuinely had the best time together. Beach in the morning, beer and shopping in the afternoon, and copious amounts of shenanigans in the evening!

I caught a crab!

_________________

I ask you –

Have you visited the beaches at Norfolk, VA?

Do you have a vacation planned?

Tell me your thoughts about seafood! Love it? Hate it?

(The post When the Cat’s Away… first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)