Picking Passwords

“Please change your password.”

Again??  Didn’t I just do this??

With at least five unique logins at work almost daily, plus another handful of logins weekly or monthly, it feels like I’m changing passwords all the time.  And this is just at work.

But even if I were tempted to use the same password for everything at work (trust me, I’ve been tempted), it can’t be done because they all require new passwords at different intervals.  And they all have their own rules.

• No repeating characters in the same password.
• No repeating characters in the same position as a previous password for up to 6 revisions.  (For example, if I used an A in the first position of the last 6 passwords, I can’t use an A in that position for the next password.)  This one is especially annoying because not only do I have to remember all of my current passwords, I have to remember what I used the last 6 times for this program.
• Must use upper and lower case as well as at least one number.

You get it.  You’ve been there.  But let me get back to you after I think of a new password…

Time to roll!

So.... I just started weekly lessons where I get to learn how to roll a kayak.  These lessons are available at an aquatic center not too far away – an awesome opportunity to practice during the colder months so I can be better prepared for the warmer months!

Now I am not the most accomplished swimmer and didn’t grow up spending a lot of time in the water.  So it cracks me up that I will pay money to get in a boat, purposely go upside down under water, and try to snap my hips enough to bring the kayak back up before I run out of air.  And to pay someone to watch me do that over and over, haha!

But it’s a lot of fun to work on my roll and to feel much more comfortable in the water.  I'm really enjoying it.  And TONIGHT will be the night I get the roll down (or up?) all by myself!

LET’S ROLL!

Sleeping through my dreams

If you dream about sleeping, shouldn’t that have the effect of gaining extra rest (if not double)?

Last night I dreamt that I was with a group of friends for dinner and they all decided they wanted to go see a new movie afterward.  I was tired and didn’t really care about the movie but I was a passenger and unwilling for anyone to change their plans on my account.

So we went to the theatre and everyone split up to sit in their favorite viewing locations.  I found a spot in the back of the theatre where I could lean against the wall and even stretch out my legs.  And slept through the entire movie.  I have no idea what it was about – I was content to sleep through all of it and didn't feel I was missing out on anything.

When I awoke this morning I still felt tired.  But a good workout later and I was sufficiently energized for the day!

Beating the bag

Tonight I had a personal training session that consisted primarily of TRX burpees and a lot of bag work.  There have been times during kickboxing classes or even one-on-one where they say to conjure up something that makes you mad and then use that to channel the aggression into the punches and kicks.  I find that difficult.  It’s like I know I’m trying to trick myself so it doesn’t work, haha.

I can only think of two times when it has worked so far.  Both happened naturally without prompts.  The first time was a while back.  I was fine when I started the workout but the harder I hit that bag, the more I started to get really worked up.  It got to the point that I was struggling to hold back tears at the end of the circuit.  Maybe it was partly hormones but man did that bag take a beating!

The other time was tonight.

I was hitting the bag as instructed (I wasn’t asked to summon any particular aggression) when I suddenly remembered a recent dream.

The other night I dreamt that someone I didn’t know hit my son.  Deliberately.  An adult.

Oh, it was ON!  I laid him out in no time!  But then I got concerned that I could go to jail for knocking his lights out (he didn't die but trust me, he wasn't getting up anytime soon)...

Anyway, that came to mind while I was punching the heavy bag tonight and I have to say that it gave me some focus and fueled my energy.  It was a fantastic workout!  Fortunately I wasn't close to tears this time though.  :-)

Which flavor of plain vanilla?

I was asked to bring brownies and ice cream to a Thanksgiving gathering.  I was given a specific brand of ice cream and told to get plain vanilla.  Easy enough.  And I like instructions like that because it’s clear what someone wants – I don’t have to guess and wonder if I’m making the best choice.

As it turns out there were multiple flavors of plain vanilla (and that’s not including “light” or fat-free)!

Natural vanilla.

Homemade vanilla.

French vanilla.

Extra creamy vanilla.

Who knew there were so many kinds of plain vanilla (and proably more)!  Days later it still makes me laugh!

That's not what I meant...

My phone seems to think it knows what I’m trying to say better than me.  It has an auto-correct feature which is usually pretty handy.  But I have to keep a close eye on it because there have been some interesting substitutions.

I recently started to collect some of the faulty corrections because they make me laugh.  I haven’t collected many (mostly because I forget to write them down) but I’d like to share a few:

·         Cardio = catsup.  This was a text conversation about trading cardio [catsup??] for pull-up training.  Would YOU like that trade??

·         Pull-ups = polyps.  Ummm, yikes.

·         Awww = sweet.  There are times that could work but in this case I was trying to say “Awww, things aren’t going well?”  Good thing I caught it before I accidentally sent “Sweet, things aren’t going well?”

·         Grrr = ferret.  Hmm, maybe I should just stick with that one.

What's next??

Method vs motive

Love languages.  The concept that people show and perceive love in different ways.  This topic has come up several times recently among different people I know.

These languages are [in no particular order] words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.  I think we all have reasons and explanations for why our preferred love language is the most meaningful.  But my reasons don’t mean someone else’s is wrong.  Their own reasons are valid to them.

Anyway, I was thinking about how all of these love languages are meaningful when they’re done out of selflessness.  And how the most important love languages can be meaningless when expressed without sincerity.

For example, gift-giving is fairly low or even non-existent on my scale of love languages.  For the most part, I’m not too concerned about acquiring possessions.  Things can be bought and given without a genuine, caring thought.  But I would accept a thoughtful gift any day over insincerity in any of the other love languages.

No, I’m not saying this has happened and I’m definitely not saying anyone should buy me gifts, haha!!  I’m just reflecting on how I perceive love and that it has less to do with the method and much more to do with the motive.  And wondering how well I demonstrate the sincerity of my heart in my own expressions of love.  Do the people I love perceive genuine love and care in the ways I interact with them, regardless what their preferred love languages are?

I’m not saying that someone’s love language isn’t important as long as my motive is right.  Not at all.  I think it’s very important for me to understand and use the right love languages as much as possible.  But it is equally as important to be thoughtful and authentic in my expressions.  I hope that I am already but I would like to be more intentional about it.

Just some thoughts.

Fortunately and unfortunately

I read a lot as a kid.  One book I enjoyed was called “Fortunately” by Remy Charlip.  It described a series of alternating positive/negative events.  The main character was fortunately invited to a surprise party… but unfortunately the party was far away.  Fortunately someone loaned him an airplane.  Unfortunately the engine died.  Fortunately there was a parachute.  Unfortunately it had a hole... And so on.

One thing I liked about that book was that no single event was the entire experience.  The character would have missed out on plenty of adventure if the party invitation was both the beginning and end of the story.  He experienced a variety of unfortunate circumstances... but they also afforded him plenty of excitement and opportunities.

And that’s life.  So let me try my hand at today’s experiences thus far.

·         Fortunately I left for the gym on time this morning.

·         Unfortunately I blew out a tire on the way.

·         Fortunately I was close to the gym and could pull into the parking lot instead of the side of the road.

·         Unfortunately AAA couldn’t find a current account for me.

·         Fortunately a good friend at the gym had AAA and was able to help me out.

·         Unfortunately my key wouldn’t open the trunk so I could get the spare tire.

·         Fortunately AAA could tow my car to another location.

·         Unfortunately my normal auto mechanic doesn’t work with tires and couldn’t help.

·         Fortunately I found an alternate location.

·         Unfortunately AAA does not allow multiple tows on the same day.

·         Fortunately this whole experience prompted me to sign up for my own AAA account (which I thought I already had).

·         Unfortunately the benefits don’t kick in immediately.

·         Fortunately I found a promo code online that saved me $34.50 when I signed up for AAA.

·         Unfortunately I was going to show the car to someone today and hopefully sell it to them.

·         Fortunately the potential buyer can wait until Saturday to look at the car.

OK, there is plenty more to the whole story but you get the idea.  No single event was the entire experience.  And the adventure continues even now.  But my point is that there are many ways you can look at something.  Sometimes we need a bit of creativity (and/or patience) to find resolutions.  But all the experiences combined are what make up the journey.

That’s life and I’m loving it!

Too much of a good thing?

Can there be too much of a good thing?  My son would say yes based on his experience this morning.

His high school band was marching in a Veteran’s Day (weekend?) parade this morning.  The weather forecast indicated that most of the morning would be as cold as it was last night (low 40's F).  And he was pretty cold last night while playing in the band for a football game.

Fortunately one of the band moms handed out hand warmers to all the band members.  That definitely helped.  But his toes were very cold even with three pairs of socks.

So this morning, before dropping him off, I stopped at a store and got him a selection of warmers – hand/body, feet, and toes.  I wanted him to have options and to be as comfortable as possible during the parade.  However I noticed that the morning didn't seem nearly as cold as the forecast indicated.

When I went to pick him up and asked how things went, he said he nearly cooked!!  He decided to wear the foot warmers AND the toe warmers at the same time!  He wasn't taking any chances.  Well they kicked in all right.

There was no time to take them out since they were marching so he had to continue playing with very toasty feet.  Hearing him describe everything cracked me up!!  Fortunately he was seeing the humor in it too.  We both agreed that sometimes there can be too much of a good thing... and this had been one of those times!

A day of awesome

Some days are just extra-awesome.  Yesterday was one of them for me.

My son made breakfast for the two of us.  He had offered the previous evening but I wasn’t sure that he’d remember or that the offer would still stand.  Well, he was still game so we had fried eggs and toast (as a sandwich, which I haven’t done in a long time!).  I was impressed that he had learned how to fry eggs the way we both like – hard and no runny stuff for me and perfectly “leaky” for him (ewwww).  :-)

After breakfast, we headed to church where there was a really great message on Adoption, Liberation, and Formation.  If I go into all of that right now, this will be a very long post so maybe another time!

After church, I really needed some coffee (I was completely out at home) so I stopped to get a specialty coffee – not something I do often but I needed to keep myself occupied for what was coming next…  Driving practice!!  Haha, my son had no idea that I had that in mind.

We went to a fairly empty parking lot near a restaurant where we would be joining a large group of friends for lunch.  We drove around and around, not just in circles but following different paths throughout the lot.  He did pretty good and I wasn’t quite as scared as I expected.  (It helped that we weren’t dealing with any moving traffic this time, haha.)

Then it was time to join a group of friends at a Thai & Sushi restaurant.  Mmmmm!  I do love Thai food but I hadn’t had sushi in I-don’t-know-how-long!  So sushi it was for me (and a few bites of my son’s Pad Thai – also delicious!) and good times catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a long time.

After a leisure lunch, my son and I enjoyed a few more hours together before I had to drop him off.  And then I went for a run!  My longest and farthest run so far.  Slower than I’d like but maybe that’s what happens when barbershop quartet songs somehow find their way into the music playlist….  (I bet no one else on the trails had a playlist even close to mine!).  I won’t let the speed (or lack thereof) get me down because I can always work on that and right now I’m still exploring this whole running thing!!

Oh, even better, I found an app that donates to charities that you select according to the distance you walk, run, or bike!  So the run I was going to do anyway ALSO benefited Habitat for Humanity!  Win-win!!

Then shower, dinner, and SLEEPY TIME!  All in all, a day of awesome.  :-) 

What happens when you try

I haven’t written about my dreams in a while.

The one I had last night had to do with a race with various obstacles.  The interesting thing is that it wasn’t so much a matter of time but a matter of completion.

I only remember one obstacle in the dream and this is the one that mattered.  This obstacle could only be attempted by one person at a time and the activity was kept hidden from other participants.

The race thus far had been physically challenging but nothing I couldn’t overcome.  But I could tell that there were other participants much more fit than myself who couldn’t pass this next obstacle and had to give up the race.  I wondered what the obstacle was but no communication or hints were allowed.

My turn came.  I went through the door, down some steps, and came into a room with a small tight window.  I had to somehow get through that window to continue the course.  It didn’t look possible.  Even if I got my upper body through the opening there was no way my hips would fit.  I would be absolutely stuck.  Even a child wouldn’t make it through that little window.  It looked like a set-up to me.

But I wasn’t ready to give in just yet.  At each obstacle, there was a race official monitoring progress (or lack of progress).  They weren’t allowed to help or offer suggestions.  I knew this and wasn’t going to ask.  But I decided to ask this official if he had completed this race himself before.  He nodded his head and then waited to see what I would do.

I looked at him and I looked at the window.  He was bigger than me but still managed to get through??  How did he force himself through when he got stuck?  Crazy upper body strength?  If the extra-fit people ahead of me couldn’t do it, how could I?  I stared at the window wondering if there was an angle that could work.  I couldn’t see a solution.

I approached the window and felt the wooden edges.  I was just going to have to try.  If I got stuck, well that would be embarrassing but it was better than not trying at all.  I put my head and shoulders through and then turned carefully so I could get better push leverage than trying to pull myself through.  I could already feel the edges of the window around my body and my hips were next.

This was going to be the tough part.  I was kinda sitting on the ledge and began to push against the window and wall to force myself through.  I felt myself getting stuck.  I pushed harder.  And then I felt the window giving way and retreating INTO the walls!  There really WAS more room!  It was a trick window and required just enough pressure to release the barriers within the wall.

I was astonished.  This window was no problem after all!  But why didn’t so many other participants get through?  Then the race official smiled and nodded.  “The others didn’t even try.  They thought they were going to get stuck and they weren’t willing to take the chance.  They gave up when all they had to do was try.”

That’s it.  Just TRYING made all the difference.

Today is a new day

I am brand new to running.

I take that back.  I have logs from when I tried various running programs back in 2002, 2006, and 2011.  Those attempts didn’t exactly stick – maybe I never figured out how to push myself, maybe I didn’t want it bad enough at the time.

But today is a new day.

Recently I asked a friend why I still struggle with running since I’m definitely more fit than I used to be.  She asked if it was my legs or my lungs that were the problem.  And then I realized that it was neither.  Yes, they both feel uncomfortable at various times but the problem is mostly mental.

Guess what:  defeatist thoughts don’t help – duh!  I found a quote today that stated, “If you think you can’t run, just stop thinking.”  Ha!  So simple!  So no more negativity and so what if it didn’t work in the past.

I said, “Today is a new day!”

So I found a bunch of motivational running images and quotes for personal inspiration.  Most are saved on my own computer for future reference but I’ll post a few here in case they help anyone else.

Whatever your goal, whether running or otherwise, you’ve got to get your head in the game and it needs to be on YOUR side!

Two Roads

I remember my first encounter with Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”.  It was an assignment in 6^th or 7^th grade and I was not impressed.  Aunt Karen (we referred to adults as aunts and uncles) was introducing me to different styles of poetry.

I expected the rhyming and flow to be different so I didn’t know how to read it.  But I loved the message and it has stuck with me for years.

We make choices throughout life that take us down different paths.  Sometimes we come full circle and get to try another option.  But even then, our experiences influence whether we take the other path or how we perceive whatever we encounter down that path.  Whether we repeat a path or take a new one, it’s not the exact same experience.

But that’s not really my point.  What I especially love about this poem is the selection of the path less frequented.  It’s taking a risk.  Volunteering for an adventure.  Not that the worn path is necessarily safe, but that taking a chance on the unknown is that much more appealing.  Worth the effort.

And THAT has made all the difference.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

ADHD/ADD awareness month

It turns out that my birthday month is also A.D.H.D./A.D.D. awareness month.  Hmmm, coincidence?  Um, ok, probably…  :-)

Personally, I love the uniqueness (some might call it randomness, etc) found in the A.D.D. people I know.  Fresh perspectives all the time (what with all the squirrel action, you know).

Seriously though, it does have its downsides, particularly if you can’t calm your mind to sleep.  I never understood the sheep counting thing.  It takes too much focus to think only about sheep which defeats the purpose of relaxing.  I could never conjure up the sheep anyway.

Regardless, I think A.D.D. is pretty awesome when you learn how to make it work for you instead of against you.  Some folks might not get it but that doesn’t change awesome!

Getting high

I got high last night and I’m still feeling it.  No, no.  Not drugs.  Workout high!!

When I first joined the gym and everything here was new, I got workout highs after most classes.  And definitely after every personal training session.  (This isn’t news to you if you’ve read some of my earlier posts.)

It is an amazing feeling!!  And I didn’t realize I had been missing it until it came back to me last night.

I stopped personal training a few months ago to cut down on expenses I didn’t think I needed.  Also the training was getting less regular since my trainer had increasing conflicts.  I shifted to workout classes only.  They were good but I know I wasn’t putting in everything I had like I used to.

Last night I picked up a personal training session with the instructor who teaches the classes I go to in the mornings.  The man is crazy (like a lot of us at the gym, haha)!  I knew whatever he would have me do would be A.D.D. appropriate, intense, and effective.  And fun.  That’s always a plus.

Oh, yes, he let me have it.  One thing I loved is that he knew what I was capable of and I was determined not to disappoint.  I pretty much collapsed when he said I was done.  But I felt amazing!

I left with shaky arms and wobbly legs.  And a grin that would have brightened the gloomiest of days!  I’m still grinning now!!

I had forgotten how awesome that felt.  And I’m not letting it go.  I told my instructor of some specific goals I have in mind.  So now it’s a matter of figuring out schedules and getting my high on.  :-)  WOOOO HOOOO!!!!!

Music in the forest??

My work schedule is changing up temporarily to gather some data in the field.  As of yesterday afternoon, I expected to work from 1-9pm today.  Since I had the morning free, I thought that would be a great opportunity for some mountain biking.

I was off!  I decided to time myself this time so I could see where I was at and have a concrete number to beat next time.

Toward the end of the trail I thought I heard music from somewhere.  I had seen five deer and numerous squirrels but music??  Where would that be coming from, or was I making it up?

I kept going.  It did occur to me that it could be the ringtone on my new phone which I had with me.  I decided to finish the course before checking since I was only a few minutes from the end.  Besides I was being timed!

It turned out that the music in the forest was indeed my phone.  I had two calls saying the field work was being postponed a day so it was a normal workday afterall.  Awww, shucks.  And I was going to repeat the trail!  Oh well, at least I cleared some cobwebs for the next riders.  And I’ll get to ride again!

Good to know I wasn’t going crazy – at least not by hearing music in the forest!

MAKE a great day!

“Make a great day.”

My mom sometimes ends her emails this way.

I really like it because it’s so much more than passively appreciating or accepting whatever happens to you on a given day.  Instead, you’re not waiting to see what the day brings, but embracing it and turning it into something good.

It doesn’t have any option but to be good… because you’re making it that way!

So come on, Monday.  And Tuesday.  And Wednesday.  And every other day.  You’re going to be a great day because I’m going to MAKE you a good day!

Blessings from spilled coffee

“Pardon me – I’m wearing my glasses so I can’t see.”

Yes, I Just said that to someone at work.  My vision is terrible so I usually rely on my extended-wear contacts to navigate the otherwise obstacle course that is life.  Since I can wear my contacts while I sleep, I can see as soon as I open my eyes.  Of course I do have to take them out periodically to replace them with new contacts.  During this interval, I wear my glasses for a few days (or as long as I can stand it) to give my eyes a breather.

My glasses are the right prescription.  I’ve had them checked and re-checked.  But everything requires so much more concentration with my glasses.  My depth perception changes and I can’t seem to process motion and details as easily.  And of course, glasses provide limited peripheral vision.  [You’d be surprised how often you glance at your fork or spoon to guide it to your mouth – even though your mouth has been in the same place your entire life!]

Anyway, this morning I ended up leaving the gym early because my vision couldn’t keep up with my bouncing glasses during jumping jacks, etc.  And then at work I found myself bumping into walls and spilling coffee (twice!) before 9am!

As I wiped up the mess for the second time, I noticed my “gratitude jar” that a friend gave me to keep at work.  It made me reflect on what I could be grateful for about my vision instead of being irritated.  I started thinking about how different my life might be if glasses and contacts didn’t even exist, or if I didn’t have access to them.  I’m not saying I couldn’t have a full life but it would certainly be different. 

How would I mountain bike?  How would it change my working out?  How would it affect my employment?  What about getting around, my relationships, my independence?

Again, I could still have an amazing, full life even if I didn’t have vision.  It would just be different.  But my little thought process made me realize that I take much for granted in my current life.  What a great prompt to open my eyes to the fullness of my life!  To view “unpleasantries” as merely peripheral – present but not game-(or attitude?)-changers!

Today I am especially thankful for my glasses and for spilling my coffee twice.  Otherwise I might have missed out on seeing that I am blessed indeed.

[By the way, I looked up blind mountain biking and blind personal training and guess what??  These things have already been done!]