I’m Just Here for the Nonsense

Mini is headed back to school! When did school supplies cost $100?!

The Week Junior

From a magazine subscription – the more we teach our children about civics, the more able they are to be informed members of society. Minus the misinformation part of society.

Why make plans and submit calendar dates when someone will color outside the lines and get what they want, upending all your plans. Still a bit heated.

Final thought: High Will, Low Skill, i.e., someone who is willing and teachable yet lacks the current skill level to perform above the minimum. Other iterations: low will, no skill. For example, my running motivation lately.

___________________

I ask you –

What nonsense have you encountered lately?

(The post I’m Just Here for the Nonsense first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Winning!

Team Fitness for the 2QTRCY2025 squadron award!

(L-R) Lt Col Camacho, McK, Britt, Phillip, Aislyn, Kel, Luli, Darrell, Quinn, SMSgt Duritsky

The same week of the awards ceremony, we departed for our annual summer trip to South Padre Island!

I tried to host a staff meeting but only mini showed.

The food –

Finally, I must mention Chilo’s Cheesecakes. Chilo and his beautiful wife, Regina, are bakers. A few years ago, I tried one of his cheesecakes at a restaurant on the island. Someone mentioned you can find all his flavors at their storefront on Port Isabella. Alas, I got busy and never went. This time, I made it a point to stop. Terrible idea.

Six pieces of cheesecake and $50 later, I exited with goodies intact.

The photos aren’t great because I couldn’t wait to sample the cheesecakes. In no particular order, I purchased: Pistachio, Pina Colada, Cookies & Cream, Key Lime Pie, Key Lime Cheesecake, and Lemon Blueberry.

So now I’ll be dreaming of going back to Chilo’s for more cheesecake. Winning!

Final thought: entirely random Have I ever mentioned the time Parts called me and immediately asked me if I remembered the name of the coffee shop I like to go to near my alma mater and I excitedly replied Yes! I thought she was going to bring me coffee! Instead, she said she’d been in an accident and needed me to come. I felt really bad for my initial reaction. Definitely not winning sister award for that debacle.

_________________

I ask you –

What are some of your latest wins?

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

Batman & Robin 2.0

I promised myself when I graduated, I would take the summer to enjoy things outside of the usual work/home/repeat. But I wasn’t convinced it would be this summer because…what if.

Fortunately, everything worked out as designed.

Girls Trip 2.0 was everything I needed and more. Last year, we re-explored Norfolk/VA Beach, Virginia. This year, we invaded Gulf Shores, Alabama. From the food to the friendship to the sand and sun, Sam and I had the best time. Minus the little snafu where my car got towed at the condo. Whoopsies! Suffice to say our 12 year friendship is standing the test of time. Ask her about the time her car got towed at our apartment in Norfolk.

We ate and drank our way through several days. Although incredibly crowded, Gulf Shores offers something for everyone – adults and children alike.

I would be remiss not to mention our fun neighbors, Thelma and Louise. We really have no idea their actual names because it kept changing. Witness protection, anyone? They had their own stories, problems, lives, and interesting perspectives. People are fun.

We have a few ideas for next year’s trip. Our m.o. tends to involve beaches and water. Already looking forward to it!

_________________

I ask you –

Any suggestions?

(The post Batman & Robin 2.0 first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Re-Post! Unearthly Expectations

Re-Post from October 30, 2023 – deep in the archives of RoF! I promise to return soon with new, unread material!

As expected, my foots need expert, aka surgical, attention. You know – for all that technology has accomplished, how come there’s only a few options for feet? I did all the others. The surgeon was quite incredulous when I requested to have surgery on both feet simultaneously. But I persevered! Eventually, he came around to my way of thinking but it took some convincing. First, he says it’s dangerous when you can’t walk under your own power. Then, he says the pain may be too much. His final attempt at dissuading me was my mental health. Something about suffering from depression when unable to run.

I counteracted his every argument by saying I will sit at home and be a good patient; I have a high pain tolerance; and it makes more sense to have both feet done to allow me to complete my coursework at one time.

Then, when I visited my muse, her advice wasn’t quite what I wanted to hear but valuable nonetheless. She said, “Kel, you’re still Wonder Woman, but it’s an unearthly expectation to do all the things just because you can.” Granted, her words stopped me in my tracks and made me reconsider my decision. For a time. It’s difficult considering all the unknown variables, including being unable to play in the intramural volleyball league as originally planned. Now, I’ll just coach!

My wingwoman and I

So, all this to say my mind is pretty much made up. I may come to regret it but both feet is the way to go. Despite the circumstances and outliers, I know I can persevere. And I will.

Yet every time you make it through something that doesn’t kill you or land you in jail, there’s this overwhelming feeling of excitement and gratitude. I live for it.

___________________

I ask you –

Any big decisions on the horizon?

Could this be the dumbest decision I’ve made? It very well could be.

Tell me about your superpowers!

(The post Re-Post! Unearthly Expectations first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Re-Post! Peace in your heart; Laughter on your lips

Re-post from March 4, 2024 – please enjoy while I’m out of office, out of my mind, out of…money whilst eating all the gelato!

‭‭Isaiah 55:11 NIV‬‬
[11] so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

The Scripture above is Jesus speaking; however, what if we spoke with this in mind, that each time words exited our lips, we fully understood our words have power to speak life, or death, over others. In a society saturated with people speaking and giving opinions, sharing with intentional life isn’t as prevalent as one would hope.

Lately, I’ve struggled with focusing on one task. I’ve been pacing, mind racing from one thought to another, unable to keep up with the flood of to-do’s. For a moment, I considered maybe this was a late life onset of ADHD. I’ve heard sometimes anxiety is mistaken as ADHD and vice versa – what if that was true for me. But I think I’m just feeling the magnitude of ending the preliminary portion of the dissertation process and considering what the next year will look like. Somehow it’s already here, what seemed impossible in 2022 is now in its final stage. It’s difficult to wrap my mind around that truth.

Focus, Kel. Trying to soak in all the things before writing takes me away from it is unfathomable. However, I did attend a game night where I managed to win at Rock/Paper/Scissors. First try, no less. Yes, I’m bragging. Funnily, when it comes to competition Rock/Paper/Scissors – I always win. No lie. Well….I’ve won 2 “competition-style” matches, if you will. The first was for a third martini flight which I absolutely should not have had, mostly because I was already 8 martinis in and definitely did not need 4 more. Consequently, I don’t remember much about that night except winning the game for another flight. Weird.

Any Way – focus, will you – I won a Starbucks gift card to fund my coffee and winning habit. Not a bad night. And, of course, my name tag says Parts. And, of course, hers said Spare Parts. Because all we do is laugh together.

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I ask you –

What does peace in your heart look like to you?

Have you ever been on a winning streak?

Tell me about your favorite game! Spoons.

(The post Re-Post! Peace in your heart; Laughter on your lips first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Re-post! Word Count

Re-post from July 17, 2024 – I’m back from vacation #1 but miscalculated how much time I would spend writing the next post. Back soon!

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 Re-post! Word Count first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Brain & Body Health

I saw a funny Instagram post which basically said I didn’t realize I’d be navigating my daughter’s PMS while also battling perimenopause. I’m doomed. Although I suspect perimenopause is a recently concocted term for all the space and unknown leading to menopause, if this is it then it’s very real.

My memory has taken a nosedive downhill. We all attributed it to PhD brain, work stress, the usual. But when mini started commenting on how I couldn’t even finish a full sentence… yikes. Time to make some changes.

Insert brain vitamins! It’s still the first week, and maybe it’s a placebo effect, but I do feel more focused! Will report back.

Saturday evening I decided to pause my run plan. The past 2 weeks, Garmin has indicated my training status as “straining”. I thought it meant I was coming out of “peaking”, which I had been, but I also thought straining was positive. Ha. Wrong.

It has been struggle city. I haven’t hit any of the prescribed paces, constantly tired, not sleeping well…classic symptoms of overtraining. And perimenopause. All this to say, I’m taking a break. Literally and figuratively. I’ll be back soon.

_________________

I ask you –

What does straining mean to you?

(The post Brain & Body Health first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Vacation-itis

The plan is to sort through the dozens of blog draft posts, partially-completed thoughts, and odds and ends within the messy spaces of my mind. Soon.

I’ll do a recap of my favorite races, runs, and generally well-thought-out fitness activities I’ve completed. Soon.

I’ll diligently apply for instructor/academic professor positions to gain a foothold within academia. ~~Soon.~~ Hey, I did this one! Upwards of 10 applications, but I guess whatever it takes.

On the hunt

I believe I’m suffering from an easily-cured but often recurring illness titled if-I-don’t-see-the-ocean-soon-I-might-not-make-it, commonly known as vacation-itis. It seems to hit around this time each year. It’s punctual. Fortunately, in keeping with my original plan to enjoy the first summer post-PhD, I scheduled numerous trips to combat the worst of the symptoms. In June, there was San Diego. Soon, there’s an actual girl’s trip to Gulf Shores. And, then, a week later, is the annual foray to South Padre Island. I have visited more bodies of water this summer than all previous summers combined. I don’t really know if this is true. I’ve spent time at pools, water parks, and large showers. And I’m not done yet!

There were a few days of moodiness, but I believe I’m on the mend. Especially when I consider how much summer fun is remaining!

_________________

I ask you –

Do you suffer from vacation-itis?

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

Defining Moments

I am sure everyone has small, unsuspecting yet defining moments to reference who/why they are the way they are. The title came to me when considering mini’s recent dance recital. Subsequent thoughts traversed from her love of dance and performing arts to my lack thereof. Instead, I thought back to a moment where I stood on a makeshift stage, speech in hand, ready to convince my entire middle school I deserved to be elected into the student council. I recall spending days forming my speech and reading it to my dad. It was good. If I do say so myself.

But after 2 students ahead of me, listening to their brief and not entirely convincing schpill, I second guessed myself. When it was my turn, I said my name, said please elect me, and quickly exited. Talk about disappointment. When my name was not called for the electees, it was no big surprise. But it was at that moment I knew I would not minimize myself again for something I truly wanted.

Hip Hop

Fast forward. A singular moment in time shaped me. Just as you, loyal readers, have similar (or vastly different) experiences, these moments shape, erode, and refine. It’s fascinating how one experience can have lifelong effects. Mini will seemingly always love dance. She’s good at it, and if dancing doesn’t take her where she wants to be, assuredly her sass will.

Credit: IG

_________________

I ask you –

Share a time you didn’t bring your A-game.

(The post Defining Moments first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Picking it back up

I didn’t realize I really only spent 6 years of my life in the “white house”, the now dilapidated, overgrown photo in the bottom left corner (above). Just 6 years. Yet somehow those years, although formidable, encompass a vast amount of trauma, memories, and pieces of my life I spent a majority running from.

RoF has captured my time “back home”. Since it’s been several weeks now from the last time I visited, the picture (no pun intended) is much clearer in my mind. I love how family still lives near and have molded new lives of their own, with beautiful memories which add to my collection. Mini and I discuss my dad and other parts of the family; however, I’m hesitant to share too much as it’s not her burden to carry.

Fortunately, I believe I’m in a good place in life to acknowledge a memory then release it. The book awaits. As I haven’t tried writing in years, soon it will be time to proverbially pick up the pen again. As new memories dull the sharpness of unpleasant ones, I’m mindful not to wait too long.

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I ask you –

Have you started writing a book/novel/short story to be derailed for a lengthy amount of time?

(The post Picking it back up first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)