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.
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.
Let me apologize first. It got…hectic for awhile. So if this post looks like a mini version of me wrote it, then…she didn’t. It was me. At this moment, I’m probably still running off of adrenaline, coffee, and a single hand’s worth of sleep. Two words: Air. Show. Help.
Dubbed the “Ice Queen” for the duration of the weekend, I found a home in my cozy club car, making a million trips to various food and beer tents providing much needed ice, soda, and chips, on occasion. They even gave me a walkie talkie, of which I was extra careful because I didn’t want to accept any fines for using my Sailor language. Disclaimer: I did say one bad word.
Day 1
I’m laughing because it seems I took a lot of selfies yet I have no actual Air Show photos. In hindsight, I saw the Thunderbirds perform at least 3x and I saw demos and reenactments at least twice. It truly was an incredibly successful weekend. As I finish this post Monday morning before publishing, my feet ache but my heart is full. I met wonderful people, worked with the best of the best, and was privileged to support the public and the installation.
Day 2
I love this stuff. But if we didn’t do it for another 7 yrs or so, that’s fine by me.
And on the subject of ice –
I found my summer activity: Curling! A whole club dedicated to learning and perfecting curling techniques! Looking for my winter gear right now. Also, I’m taking volunteers to be my partner. Must love laughing, and falling. Will train.
_______________
I ask you –
Have you ever attended an Air Show?
Did you know there were curling clubs? Me neither!
Tell me your summer plans!
(The post Re-post!! Who Signed Me Up? first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
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.)
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.
Because the line was so long, approx 27 people with the average wait time of 52 minutes, I have no photos of the incredible ice cream at An’s Electronics Repair. At this point, An’s has invested in dry cleaning, hat making, and, now, electronics. What a marketing and business genius. The truth is she has the very best ice cream in…anywhere. You should partake at every single location, as I have.
Cookies were the theme of this jaunt to San Diego. Coco and Jules Cookies were my favorite, while Cookie Plug was trying a little too hard. But did I eat the cookies? Well, yes.
Tacos, coffee, and chicken pot pie rounded out the menu. Turns out I’m not a fan of chicken pot pie. I know others who adore it. Just not me.
Tacos El Gordo Breakfast Republic Acento CoffeeThe Chicken Pie Shop
Quite the successful and relaxing trip. I managed 3 runs and 1 workout. I’d gladly pay extra to have San Diego weather year-round. In fact, the first run back in Texas was a glorious disaster. From heat and humidity to stiff muscles and uncertain hydration status, I was a walking risk. Alas, it will return.
__________________________
I ask you –
If you’ve been to San Diego – name your favorite places there! Food, too!
(The post Ohhhhh, San Diego first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
I have a brilliant idea to make the government millions of dollars. Every time someone drives on the installation while colors plays, they must pay a fine. At least $100.
Leadership lesson 101: Take your weaknesses and delegate them! At least, that’s the moral of the story I took from it.
For the last several months, every Friday at work, something strange has happened in my presence. From an active shooter situation to a fire alarm to, most recently, the mule (Kawasaki-type, not animal-type) catching fire while I was driving it – you can see the common denominator is me. Yours truly. It’s become a running joke about how something happens to me every Friday. I’m beginning to think people are avoiding me, if not for my reputation then definitely for fear of being tangled up in my shenanigans. Who could blame them?
So long as I’m not driving a vehicle on base, I am very trustworthy! One year you’re the best supervisor in AETC, the next you’re a pyro. Geez, how the mighty fall. At the time of this post, the damage repair costs were nearly $1,000. Maybe I’ll set up my own check points to charge people who drive during colors. Then, I can put the money toward my fitness financial losses.
Every time my team pulls off a big event, I think damn these guys are incredible. Do you know why I win awards? Because of them. Do you know why they win awards? Because of themselves. We have our fair share of faults and I could probably write a training curriculum on what not to do. But, at the end of the day, this team is amazing. They’ve always been amazing. They just needed someone to believe in them. And show them how to be leaders. I will never stop being amazed at what they are able to accomplish. Because we all know I couldn’t do half of what they do. I’m a figurehead. Yet I lead from the front. And I feel confident and secure enough to say I know if I said follow me, they would, not because I said it but because they trust me.
________________
I ask you –
By all means, feel free to comment on the disasters which plague me.
Garmin has a lot of faith in me! This is the Forerunner 955 Solar, a vast improvement to my previous Forerunner 265. The solar feature was a last minute decision, but since this is Texas and the sun is nearly always shining, I thought why not. Even without it, my battery, with regular use, lasts more than a week between charges. It says you can sit the watch in the sun and it will charge without overheating. Haven’t tried yet.
Thus far, I think the watch is much more accurate than my previous version, especially when it comes to heat acclimation. Very important to me. At the time of this post, I’m only 44% acclimated. When my other watch would give feedback, it commonly stated I was 78-80% acclimated when I hadn’t been running at all. Although it doesn’t influence my running habits, I would like a more realistic picture of heat acclimation, which I believe I’m receiving.
For me, this was a satisfactory, albeit expensive, purchase. My previous one, the Forerunner 200-something series, was great…no complaints, but when it started losing charge quickly and began having some glitches, I knew it was time.
Just like this post. It was time. Get it get it.
_________________
I ask you –
When did you last update your electronic gear?
Have you tried a newer version of a watch where it exceeded your expectations?
Woman seeking… mosquito repellent. Specifically, a mosquito repellent-infused lotion that doesn’t smell like my childhood. Have I ever mentioned the citronella s’mores?!
Sun’s out, ‘squitos out
Also, a Gummy-repellant would be nice, too. For the first 45 days, I had a life lifter which meant the available lives were increased to 5 from 3. Now, I get 3 lives. First world problems.
On average, it takes me about 10-12 months to fully learn a position, enough to become the SME of responsibilities. So, lately when I’ve had extra time on my hands, I find small projects to share whatever knowledge I possess. At this moment, it’s records management, which everyone despises. Necessary evil. Next year? Who knows. But my 5 yr plan most definitely includes a sword and dragon. I’m partly there.
_________________
I ask you –
What are your thoughts on mosquitoes?
How long does it take to learn your role?
Name something in your 5 year plan!
(The post Sun and Swords first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)
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