Drugs and other spooky stuff

I had an entire thought for this post, something along the lines of a refrigerator or a shelf, but now it’s disappeared like my desire to work a non-paying job. Yet I’m still doing it. So I guess this point is moot.

Mini participated in all the themed days of drug free week. I’ve probably said this before but I thought for sure I would have been offered a lot more drugs in life. Where was my chance to “just say no”? Can I try it now? Eluding to my a) current position, b) addictive genetics, and c) will to live despite present circumstances, I’ll probably continue to say no. If asked.

Photo credit: #musemom

And, of course, there was Halloween. I make far too many jokes about full-sized candy bars for someone who doesn’t eat candy. I wish I liked candy. It sounds delicious. Although I am partial to Reese’s Pieces.

Tiny spiders

My costume was minimal…stamped black spiders on the sides of my face and hand. I believe it represented how many souls I’ve stolen. Or eaten. Or whatever fun analogy exists. Muse? Oh where art thou?

Final thought: for over 90 minutes, which is probably considered less than average, we walked mini around neighborhoods to trick or treat. Halfway through the jaunt, I realized how much I missed the past 3 years while working through my PhD. It was nearly impossible to enjoy anything outside of writing because I was incredibly stressed by the need to write. I’m sad because I know I missed a lot and I cannot get it back. The fact I recognize how much I missed because I can see it now is even tougher. It was worth it, but how do you quantify worth when you missed entire Halloween shenanigans worrying about what you could be doing instead? It feels as if entire years disappeared from my memory. On the bright side, drugs didn’t do this to me.

________________

I ask you –

What has been your favorite Halloween costume?

Also, name your favorite Halloween treat!

(The post Drugs and other spooky stuff first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Serendipity!

It’s a fun word with a few fun iterations. Serendipitous. It reminds me of the word Eureka! Not the vacuum cleaner. There was a movie with a scientist who yelled Eureka when he made a concoction. What was the movie?

Funny story about serendipity. It’s something I based my PhD thesis on. I was seeking serendipity, uncertain if I would actually have a moment to uncover it, much less recognize it. Spoiler: I did. And it was just as glorious as I had hoped. And, since thousands of people are furloughed, what better way to kill time than to read it? Have fun! Immigration Federalism in the United States: Texas Case Studies

Hold on, the show is tuning in. The rich kid. Big house. Bad guys. Not the Christmas one where the kid was alone. Home Alone. Right, not that one.

Interestingly, the word serendipity originated in 1754 from a fairytale. Now, it references a scientific or technological breakthrough. I just like it because it sounds fun.

Richy Rich! That’s it.

_________________

I ask you –

Have you experienced serendipity?

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

Reading and To-Do List, in progress

Although I’ve already read the series below, I’m sharing them because they are really that good!

The Little Liar by Mitch Albom, a thought-provoking novel set during the Holocaust, chronicling the intertwined lives and stories of four individuals with Truth as the narrator.

The AJ Docker Series of 5 books by Gary Gerlacher. Imagine Harry Bosch meets medical nonfiction. Easy to read, intriguing, and can be read in any order. Thank me later.

Events / Travel in 2026

Run the Jailbreak: South Padre Island, TX

Handel’s Ice Cream in Plano, TX

_________________

I ask you –

Of the list above, have you tried any?

Recommendations?

(The post Reading and To-Do List, in progress 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.

————————–

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.)

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.)

Ohhhhhhhh Chem

In a recent conversation, the concept of college students studying came up. Duh, yes, I know. This particular conversation revolved around organic chemistry, or O-chem, as it’s known. As anything chemistry-related is way beyond my vocabulary, I considered what it must be like to understand the subject enough to pursue it in academia. Surely you are not an intellectual slacker to love environmental science, etc.

Then, I realized anything that sounds like O-chem must be a punishment to the rest of us. So what can I do with this information? Glad you asked. To counter the prison overpopulation issue, what if criminals (no disrespect, just using the generalized term) were told to complete college courses instead of facing jail time. Specifically, they had to earn a passing grade in basic studies. Or in O-chem. Education + time served. I think I’m on to something here.

My strong and sweet chair, Dr. Bates, sent me a graduation gift. Among the monogrammed bottle and kind note was an entire package of relaxation tools, such as body care, spa gifts, and candy. I don’t yet miss the neverending writing and rewriting, but I do miss my weekly conversations with her.

Back to prison. Not literally. I know college courses and some educational opportunities exist in the federal prison systems’ confines. However, I do not know the intricacies. Still, I believe O-chem has a place there. Just not in my life.

_________________

I ask you –

What do you think of my prisoner remediation plan? It’s a hit, right! every pun intended

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

Another Indicator of my Stellar Education

Allow me to share a story of my unimaginable stupidity. I’m quite literally the smartest idiot you’ll ever meet. Hands down

via IG

At a recent small group event I like to call Geriatric Game Night, I retrieved a tiny slip of paper from a bowl on the table and prepared to draw a picture of the word(s) for my fellow gamers to guess. As hard as I tried, I could not decipher the word. I rotated the paper all manners of degree. No luck. Finally, I turned to my right, to the woman who had contributed the word, and asked her what the word was. She rewarded me with the nicest “Are you dumb?” look, then mouthed the word to me.

Top hat. Top hat was the word. Top hat. Not tophat. Pronounced in my head as toe-fat. Tophat is indeed not a real word. You’ll be shocked to know it’s not a Biblical term or a word to describe an Egyptian or anyone else. Tophat is not a real word. Not today, not tomorrow, probably not ever.

You can imagine my internal monologue as well as the laughs from every gamer when I explained my mistake. To think I have a PhD is almost preposterous.

Admittedly, I am incredibly dumb with common situations, words, and items. Remember the time I walked around outside with a vape in my hand? I thought it was a pretty pink battery! At least people laugh with me. Or at me.

_________________

I ask you –

Share your moment(s) of stupidity with me!

I’m thinking of stopping the questions part of these posts. Maybe just one or two here and there. Thoughts?

(The post Another Indicator of my Stellar Education first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Order of Leaders

We could beat people when they’re down, but it doesn’t make us leaders, it makes us tyrants. Recently, a leader in my organization approached me without fanfare, without ulterior motive, to share a situation encountered unbeknownst to me. He was concerned, he expressed empathy. And although I knew of the logistics of the situation, I hadn’t known the full picture. He offered grace rather than condemnation. He offered care as opposed to vindication or punishment. That’s a leader.

It has arrived!

Although the photo is not inherently leadership related, and neither is the following story, it will get me there. Standby.

The past few weekends have been packed with conferences. One I spoke at, the other I did not. However, each brought together hundreds of people looking for connection and community, and offered an opportunity to share stories. One may never know what another is dealing with until their story is shared. There were several what not to do’s, also.

I have probably never shared on this platform the struggle with my name, but I find others with similar issues when I share. Even mini has expressed an issue with her own name and its similarities to a popular name which causes people to mispronounce it. She despises this. All this to say, we each have struggles. In an effort to overcome these struggles and become great leaders, we must listen first and act second.

_________________

I ask you –

How often do organizational leaders jump to conclusions?

Care to share a story of your own?

Tell me your best advice.

(The post Order of Leaders first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Authorship

I’m officially published!

You can read the full dissertation here: Immigration Federalism in the United States: Texas Case Studies. The next step is distributing the publication to the cities who participated in order to a) make good on my promise to share and b) hopefully produce valued change. Although only one of those is within my power, I’ll soon be applying for adjunct professor positions in hopes to share my knowledge of the policies and systems in place within local Texas communities. To say I’m humbled is still an understatement. Some days I am in disbelief my PhD journey has ended. While I continue to cheer on my friends who are deep in the throes of their own doctoral journey, I want to forever remain a valuable contributor to higher education.

The bound work arrived in the mail – all 6+ lbs of it. 6 POUNDS! It looks like it belongs in the Library of Congress, so said my spouse. If all else fails, I’ve created a massive paperweight.

This is also mini’s first year taking the standardized tests of all public schools. Right, wrong, or indifferent, I believe testing has a purpose yet after the anxiety-ridden day I experienced for her first of two tests, I’m beginning to believe and finally fully understand testing is even more difficult for the parents! At the time of this posting, she will have finished both tests and is officially free and clear to enjoy the final weeks of her school year. Then, we can do it again next year! When mini asked how many tests she’ll take in her life, I stated she would be continually tested…and tested. Tis the circle of life.

———————–

I ask you –

Do you experience test anxiety or discomfort?

What advice would you give a young student?

Tell me your most difficult test.

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