Is this the…Tipping Point?

Podcast debut! The Modern Idiot (affectionately acronym’ed TMI) graciously invited me as a guest onto their pod. What a fun night! Spoiler alert: one half of the dynamic duo who hosts this podcast was a US Navy classmate. We have history, you could say.

In the same weekend, an old article I wrote for a different blog, Pregnant and Perfect, was reposted by a surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. This may not sound like a celebratory moment for anyone else, but the fact it’s still relevant information is astounding. When I mentioned this article to my sister, even she said she didn’t remember anyone using or sharing info on maternity belts when she was pregnant with her children, 16 and 14 years ago, respectively. Don’t ask me how I they’re so old. I don’t know. Granted it may not help with all pregnancy-related issues, but my personal belief is using a maternity belt regularly during the workday and when I expected to be on my feet for prolonged periods of time was key to a lack of stretch marks and ligament pain during my own pregnancy because it lifted my belly up and back which helps with posture and pain. Much like a girdle, it’s not sexy by any means but it gets the job done!

“It was not the perspective of the painting that had been wrong all these years, it was the perspective of the people looking at it.” I fully realize this post is behind in the publishing process because the above events happened nearly a month ago. For those that don’t know, I make it a practice to wait a few weeks to post, if possible, to protect mine and my family’s privacy. And it helps me to disconnect. So I waited on this post for one reason: I needed to step back in order to not get consumed with doing too much at once. Granted, it took me how many weeks to get a merchandise page going (nearly 2 years of weeks). But anyway…

About the painting? I don’t know. I don’t paint. I can barely walk and chew gum. You get the idea.

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I ask you –

Have you listened to my podcast episode yet? Your thoughts?

Do you paint? Draw? Chew gum?

Other bloggers: tell me how much time typically passes between writing and publishing your posts.

It’s My Anniversaries!

Credit: Patrick Tomasso via unsplash

Part 1 – Blog

Bloggiversary! 2 whole years of twice weekly, often times random, definitely funny blog posts. I’d like to thank you all. Seriously. Thank you for following, commenting, liking, sharing, and encouraging me.

And, on that note, with everyone’s advice considered, I will soon be moving past the IG handle “mindbodyshameless”. If I had to guess, she’s who I am when I write in italics. She’s the fun one! But this small change is necessary to keep growing and I’m looking forward to the next 2, 5, 10 years of sharing everything with you all here.

Credit: Finn via unsplash

Part 2 – Therapy

I’ve been in a happy relationship with my therapist/counselor/muse/life coach for 2 wild years! It took a very long time, but I’m no longer afraid to disclose I work with an amazing person who has opened my eyes and mind to the poor state of my mental health. Thank you!

What a world we live in when we can’t (or don’t) feel comfortable enough to share something is wrong. I don’t have it together; I doubt I ever will. But I’m the strongest, most capable me I’ve ever been. She’s amazing, if I do say so myself.

Keeping it short and sweet this week due to vacationing! Hopefully – surely? – I can come back with more interesting topics to discuss, as well as a renewed mind. Hope you all are having a great day!

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I ask you –

For other bloggers, how long have you been doing this?

Do you think society is embracing counselor culture more so now than before?

Tell me about a previous or upcoming vacation!

Buckets of Lists!

(pt 2 of my bucket series)

I could have my very own Cool Runnings experience. Check it out!

Always wanted to learn how to curl. Curling is like shuffleboard meets bowling. Since I’m not too bad at bowling and shuffleboard is fun, too, then I think I’d be a natural. Who knows. Maybe I missed my Olympic calling!

Volleyball season is….errrr, was…upon us; specifically, mud volleyball. In true Texas fashion. But I kind of got my feelings hurt when I went to sign up and the lady I’ve been communicating with for over a year suddenly forgot who I was and told me if a team was looking for a player, she’d call me. Rather dismissively. I was supposed to be her teammate. Sigh. What can you do? Spectatorship is my new position.

Winner, winner!

Spoiler alert…I killed the first game. The second game killed me. Way to be humble, Kel. I also golfed a few days prior to the bowling excursion! It did not go well at all. And the bugs kept attacking us. I don’t like bugs. The good news is I didn’t break any clubs, windows, or body parts. Never mind that one time my golf ball hit the golf cart. Minor.

Then I found myself at a change of command ceremony humming “Anchors Aweigh”. Whoopsies! What do you mean the Air Force doesn’t sing Anchors Aweigh?! Couldn’t have been as bad as everyone looking at each other, lips moving, no sound coming forth. Pretty sure they didn’t know the words. Calamity of errors!

Weirdly, I haven’t heard one Navy song yet on this base. Troubling. And where’s the reveille tunes? What about Sailors in their dress whites? You know, the little things. P.S. while you’re reading this, I am on vacation enjoying the sun and sounds of the ocean. Scheduling programs really are lifesavers!

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I ask you –

Have you seen the movie Cool Runnings? If not, why not?

Have you been bowling lately?

Tell me your favorite winter sport! Drinking coffee haHA

Outs / Abouts

Has anyone tried one of these? I NEED that pecan caramel cinnamon heavenly thing. Too bad for you other-than-Texas-and-Oklahoma people. Braum’s is ours!

I should just give in

Whilst on a leisurely downtown stroll, I came across this funniness. Red, preferably.

I do love me some wine

And, then, to complete the collection of owning nearly every type of Keurig created. Monopoly, much? I feel like once I’ve run out of these, I might be stuck. So far — Keurig: 3; Me: 1. Why don’t electronics love me like I love them?

Original to Supreme Plus to Elite

My colleagues know me well. I’ve been working very hard towards our new office mantra of “Be the best first impression!” Work early, stay late, big smile, lots of laughter. All the things! Granted, I think I’ve always had a great attitude and work ethic, but there were a few weeks where I was Negative Nancy, for sure. Have you met my friend, Crow? No amount of sugar can make crow taste good. So I got it together and got back to being cheerful.

coffee rewards

Sometimes it may take awhile, but remember there’s always someone else watching.

So laugh loudly and spell correctly!

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I ask you –

Have you been to a Braum’s? Tell me how much you love their ice cream!

What type of coffee maker do you use?

Name something you’re thankful for! Coffee, hugs, ice cream…shall I go on?

Podcast Debut!

Races + Grumblings

“A (wo)man on a thousand mile walk has to forget the goal and say every morning, ‘Today I’m going to cover twenty-five miles and then rest up and sleep.’”

LEO TOLSTOY

Some blog posts just write themselves; all that’s required of me is jot it down as it flows. Those are the best.

still blooming

Let me skip to the good part. Why are Ragnars and relay races so incredibly expensive? $600 for 4-6 people to run an unaccompanied, off-road, course- supportless route whilst sleeping in one of the two vans you yourself and your team must drive. Exactly what am I paying for here? The name probably. Before I make enemies, allow me to disclaim I have no problem spending money on races! Sign this girl up! I’m just attempting to understand where my money goes when there’s no course support, no aid stations, no on-site medical personnel (because I love those people), and no ability nor obligation to support the local community where the race starts/ends. I don’t get it.

Speaking of spending money, let me introduce you to my most recent piece of expensive jewelry. Indeed it does more than I ever imagined. Garmin really does make quite the tech gear.

smaller than it looks

Full review coming soon. Need time to take her for a spin outdoors and with the heat not cooperating it may be some time. Speaking of the heat: holy hell, I’m over it. Just when I think maybe, possibly, with angels following me, and a fan on top of my head I may be able to run outdoors…yeah, no. Did I mention the migraines have returned, too? Heat and headaches: my favorite!

Fall can’t come soon enough.

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I ask you –

Any interest in completing a Ragnar?

Do you have a small, medium, or large sized wrist? Schmedium for me

Tell me something you’re looking forward to! My mini will be home in less than 2 weeks!

Capers of the Dynamic Duo

The past several months have afforded my (older) half and I opportunities to get closer not only as sisters, but also as friends.

Boots to Books

Back in the book writing business! Nothing like a midnight conversation to peak your interest in returning to a story. Just when I felt like perhaps I would always be at a standstill, I’m presented with an alternate ending. Now that I think about it more, did I ever decide on a title? I’m getting there.

Photo credit: Dina Nasyrova @pexels.com

Never have I ever – considered aspects of slander and libel before writing a book.

Never have I ever – felt driven to complete something so definitely my very own.

Requesting information from the proper sources takes time. If I was smart, I would have done this 2 years ago and be ahead of the game now. Alas, my plan wasn’t really a plan at all. I just thought I’ll write and see where I land. Who needs visual aids anyway? Speaking of which, I need to double back on this and figure out where my request went. No news isn’t always good news.

Some time ago, I saw a request for 25 pages of an unpublished novel to gauge a publisher’s desire to read more. Maybe I should look into it. What if I wrote under a pseudonym? Ehhhh, it loses shock value then. And we can’t have that! What happens if they do publish me? What happens if I ever actually find a publisher for this book? A good publisher would market the book for me, right? How do you not know how any of this works, Kel?

Update: I have a book title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It came to me unexpectedly. Short of sharing it (yet), I can tell you it fits my de facto writing theme and my story. The little things always have a way of finding us. Promise to share more when I can. For now, the teaser will have to do. But it’s not really a tease if you get nothing. Sorry! Though I can honestly say the book is not about running.

Late addition – I always thought Hallmark was the end all be all of greeting cards. They have everything! The wax poetic’ers for every occasion. For some reason, though, no one has created an ‘I’m sorry a tree fell on your house’ card. Guess I’ll just have to make my own. Honey, you had to have known this would make it to the blog. And I still haven’t located an appropriate card.

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I ask you –

How much motivation would a motivated person need motivating if a motivated person was motivated? Say that fast!

Pseudonym or no? Why or why not?

Eyeballing a 2022 publish date. Because I don’t have enough on my to-do list.

Ready for an Experiment?

Sort of wish social experiments weren’t so morally questionable because I come up with some good ones. Think gentlemen’s clubs and masks. But maybe I shouldn’t even mention it here. After all, that PhD is still on the table.

A stranger asked what do I do when my spouse isn’t home? Surely he didn’t get the answer he was looking for. Unless he has a foot fetish.

Officially unofficially reached old lady status. I now proudly make my own iced coffee and all I think about when being away from home is this – When I get home, I’m going to make a cup of coffee! Welcome to my boring life.

Although I love a good charcuterie board, it’s come to my attention not everyone is familiar with the ingredients. And since they are varied, I’m not judging. Nonetheless, I’m happy to share my redneck, backwoods upbringing, though it did me no favors, is less apparent as I get older. Allow me to explain in blunt terms:

Cheese comes in many colors, flavors, and smells. Try them all!
Meat, namely prosciutto, does not require cooking. Just eat it!
There will be items you’re not familiar with. Refrain from turning up your nose, you ungrateful prude.
Have fun! It’s food! Food is great!

Great news! I’ve successfully blogged for 2 years! Funny how this was the opportunity I waited what felt like a lifetime for; now I can’t imagine not doing it. It isn’t a chore. I don’t dread it. Still, after 2 whole years, I love spilling my heart and mind all over these pages. A friend of mine likened blogging to a digital journal – and she’s not wrong. Cheers to more years!

an award!

Received some fantastic feedback on a previous post Using that Psych Degree. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. I paid a lot of money for this geniusness inside my brain. Whoever thought I wouldn’t be blogging at year two was mistaken. P.S. no one said that. I think.

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I ask you –

Any social experiment additions to my list?

What’s your favorite item on a charcuterie board? Better question: do you know what one is? Should I have added a photo here?

Best guess time – how many years will I blog?

I’m a Pioneer!

I need friends. Running friends. Running friends who only run when it’s incredibly hot outside and I can’t go out there to run. Too much? So I joined Strava.

Find me on Strava!

Then I decided to channel my inner woman of the wild and become a canning master! Next up: living in a hut and churning my own butter. Right. I know.

Strawberry Jam!

Jam

As a writer, grammar and spelling are important to me, as well as consistent fonts across a document. It’s my job. I appreciate when someone’s email signature line is short, concise, and, most importantly, legible! You may be asking how an email could possibly be anything other than legible; rest assured, I’ve seen it all. It’s not pretty.

Full disclosure: I don’t believe everything I read on the internet. Tell me you don’t either. So I did my own research. Turns out it is true!

My dreamer mindset got a little excited, to tell the truth. But as for adding it to the bucket list? No thanks. The part that negated all my dreams was “The real-life walk would be grueling, filled with scary animals and diversely bad weather.” Nope, nope, and nope. Next, please.

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I ask you –

What’s your Strava information? Please comment below. I need friends!

Have you ever canned anything? What should I can next?

Tell me something on your bucket list!