Nipping and Yipping: A New Family Addition

Not HR related at all but here is something that can be filed under "remembering to breathe," a new addition to the family. Meet Scruffy, our new Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

Monday Morning Humor - Senior Moment

My mind has not settled enough after vacation to begin to develop a post but I wanted to share something with you. This clip, emailed to me from a coworker, seems to fit the bill. Moral of the story: if you are going to have a senior moment. . . .  make it memorable!

Happy Monday to all!

Cruise Update - It's Not About the Silverware

We are on our second cruise. The Kid's Crew is not as engaging as the first. The food is not as unique, the service is not as impeccable, and the ship is not as over-the-top. I can't find the silverware rolled up in the napkins when I need it. This second cruise is not as spectacular as our first. 

Is it time? Is it experience? Is the second time really ever as good as the first?

It is better. The frenetic pace of the got-to-see-and-do-it-all right-now madness of the first time now makes way for the do-what-you-feel-like-so-what-if-you-miss-the-after-dinner-show calmness of the second time.

Sailing past the surrounding mountains and watching the whales play off the side of the ship as we made our way towards Juneau yesterday was superb. Watching our 7 year-old co-mush a dogsled team across a glacier was priceless.

The Second Oldest Profession

Pilots. Until this week, I had not thought much about piloting. In fact, a pilot was someone who flew a plane. Get me to Seattle, safe and on-time, so we can pick up our rental and head northwest.

Our pilot this week did what he was supposed to do and we made our first visit to the Olympic Peninsula. We made our first (very long overdue visit) to friends in Port Angeles. We had our first view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the house on the hill.

The view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca is superb, even on a cloudy day. Ships and boats of all shapes and sizes are moving through here throughout the day. Some stop for a bit but almost all move on through to Seattle. Every ship has a pilot. Not an airplane pilot, a boat pilot.

Pilots. Pilots are the people who meet the ship in the harbor, via the pilot boat, board it, and guide it safely through the waters. In this area, the pilots guide the ships to Seattle. Every ship is either required to pick one up, or certify (if a US ship) that they have a trained pilot on board. Pilots have extensive maritime experience, undergo training, achieve certifications and are very well-qualified. There is a waiting list, a professional organization and a little bit of "who you know." Pilots do what they do to the tune of $300,000 - $400,000 per year. What other cool things did my guidance counselor forget to tell me about?

It is really very intriguing. We had the opportunity to ride the pilot boat out to meet a Japanese freighter. The Japanese crew dropped out a rope ladder as we approached. We pulled up alongside the ship and held the pilot boat steady while the pilot climbed the ladder. We watched until he was safely inside. This harbor has not lost a pilot off the rope ladder and into the water yet. Superb. Stopping the pilot boat on a dime and pulling a tight 360 - very cool!  

Pilots. New to me yet they have been around as long as there have been ships traveling on seas. 

Motivation From the Gym Floor

I am heading out on vacation, really.

Dedicated exercise buff that I have become (3 days per week), I figured I could (should) get some cardio in before I left. To the gym I went, thinking about how much better I would feel when I was done. To the treadmill I went, running to the news.

To the weights the lifters went, lifting to their partner's grunts, groans and motivations. Most of the time, I hear without reaction. Some of the time, I look to see what the heck is going on. This time, however, I heard something that I think will remember, draw from and share. I will remember it because it was exactly the way I was feeling as I finished up my run (and it sounds so much better than what I was thinking!). I will draw from it because it is how I find myself feeling at different times in my work day. I will share it because I think others find themselves feeling the same. 

So, without further ado. . . . . .  "let your air catch up to you."

I Have Baby Pictures. I Know Things.

Celebrating differences. I do it every day with my daughter.

She is creative. I am not. First grade is not quite over yet and she lets me know she wants a new class of kids for second grade class because she wants to meet new friends. I seek out the familiar. I am not quick with my responses; my "should have said" conversations are brilliant!. She is very quick.

I have been working with a personal trainer and my sessions are about over. I am trying to decide if I should continue. It is fun, I can see results and I am not at all confident that I will get to the gym without someone to hold me accountable. So, I was talking to my husband about this the other night and ended with a long drawn out, "I don't know what to do. I am sooooooo perplexed!"

Without a beat, a moment of hesitation, or a blink of the eye, my loving daughter comes back with, "Mom, does perplexed mean fat?" 

First grader, fifth grade reading level, she knows exactly what perplexed means and the look on her face was priceless. Her eyes were big, her mouth was in a huge smile and she was laughing out loud inside, trying not to burst. Just wait until you get a little older sweetie, just wait.

Remember, I have baby pictures. I know things. 

Boots to Boots: Embracing Veterans Skills

My nephew Erik, a Vancouver, Washington firefighter, has developed a veterans mentorship program, which has now officially become a Washington state non-profit organization called Boots to Boots.  The purpose of Boots to Boots is to assist military veterans with the sometimes difficult transition to civilian life, and also to show them that the life experience they gained while serving our country makes them excellent candidates for serving our communities as firefighters.  This is a journey that Erik himself took after his time as an Army Ranger.  It was a fairly long, competitive process and his purpose in developing Boots to Boots is to give the veterans a leg-up in pursuing a career in the fire service.

Boots to Boots has taken off! 30 Vancouver firefighters have volunteered to be mentors for veterans from all branches of the military, many of whom have already taken the opportunity to use the program to begin practice testing for fire service jobs; the Mayor of Vancouver and the CEO of the Bank of Clark County are on their Board of Directors; the fire chief for Vancouver Fire Department has given tremendous support and has also spoken to fire personnel across the country about the program; Erik's union donated $1000 to develop our first run of t-shirts to begin fundraising; and he has support from the local VA. Erik and Boots to Boots have already been featured on KPTV Channel 12 news and in The Columbian newspaper:

http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03032008_Brothers-in-Boots-Embracing-veterans-skills.cfm
 
Erik and his board of directors would eventually like to see this program spread across the region, or maybe even further. Boots to Boots is free-of-charge to the veterans.  Their non-profit attorney has assured them that their 501(c)(3) status should be approved. When that happens, they will begin applying for grants.  In the meantime, they have started to fundraise. Their hope is that in reaching out to those they know, and hopefully through them reaching out to an even larger circle, they can begin gathering some funds and spreading the word. 

Please feel free to contact them if you would like more information about Boots to Boots.  Their website is under construction at www.BootstoBoots.org, their email address is BootstoBoots@gmail.com and their mailing address is Boots to Boots, 13504 N.E. 84th Street, Ste. 103-307, Vancouver, WA 98682.

Many people have a connection with a veteran, and would like to make some sort of contribution to veterans' futures. The feedback they have received from the veterans themselves - those actively participating in the program and those simply calling to say thank you  - has been inspiring and heartwarming.

April Showers

If April showers bring May flowers, what does an April snowstorm bring?

It is April 26, the ground turned white overnight, it is still snowing, the snow is blowing sideways and it was 75 degrees this past week. Run kid, run. Flip up your hood. Dodge the snowflakes. I am not unpacking the winter clothing again. 

On the Coffee Table

I have a few books on my coffee table. Actually, they are not on my coffee table but they are sitting on a shelf in my entryway, staring me down, waiting to be read. I am looking forward to the day when I have not only a minute to breathe, but a few minutes to read. I am not lazy, I am not pregnant (congratulations Evil HR Lady!), life has just been very hectic.

I prefer not to mix work directly with blogging but if you are a Registered Nurse, Internal Medicine MD, Geriatrician, or a Psychiatrist, let's talk (so I can read.) Ha! Ha! Happy Friday to all!

Just Wondering

The toughest part of exercising is making the decison to do it. Working with a personal trainer makes it easier. Knowing that someone is waiting for me at the gym at 5:30 a.m. two days a week because I said I'd be there, seems to give me permission to take the time go. Permission to go? What's that all about . . . . generation, age, working mother guilt? Hmmmm. . . .

I Could Not Work From Home

I could not work from home. I could not work from home for one very simple reason: I would not be able to drive into work.

There are two stop lights and lots of open space between my house and my job. I may dodge a deer or two but I do not dodge traffic, merge and exit, or stop and start. With a day care drop off, I make a total of 5 turns over 12 miles. Without a drop-off, my total turns drop down to 3.

When I drive, I think. When I think, I get clarity. As clarity approaches, it is often met with a big AHA. AHAs are cool and when they occur, my world seems to jump back in alignment. AHAs happen. And I am almost always driving when they do.

I guess I could work from home; I would just have to take the long way to work each day.

Maybe It Does Take a Village

My daughter is moving through a touchpoint of learning, growth and independence (and doing rather well I might add!).

My husband and I love and cherish her and I know that we will move through this touchpoint as we have done in the past and as we will surely do in the future (unless of course the last touchpoint is at age 7!) I also know that we would not be able to support our daughter like we do without people supporting us as individuals, as parents and as a family.

So to our family, friends, neighbors, one super first grade teacher, an equally wonderful principal, our day care providers and more - thank you!

A Mother's Pride

Right now, there is nothing tougher for me than being a working mom.

I put a crying kid on the school bus yesterday and needless to say, my Monday did not go so well. My daughter did not want to go to school. Actually, she did not want to be away from me.

We ended the week last week the same way as we moved into the weekend. She (we) had some tough mornings Thursday and Friday. Both of those days, I drove her to school myself and sat with her in the cafeteria until she calmed down and was ready for class. We headed for the waterpark for the weekend and it really was her weekend. We did only what she wanted to do. We have some silly stories to share with Dad when he gets home tonight. There is nothing like jetting out of a super fast body slide with your feet in the air and hair in your face to a 7 year old little girl laughing so hard she can hardly swim to give you a little perspective.

My daughter is a great kid and you can imagine the thoughts running through my head yesterday morning at daycare. Why couldn't I just call in to work and volunteer at school with her? Why couldn't I take her out of school for just one day? Why? Why? Why?

Because moms have responsibilities. Because little girls have to go to school. Because moms love their kids even when they are not with them. Because l know she can do this (it is me I am worried about). The bus came and I put her on it. I gave her some extra tissues, a big hug and her backpack and she walked up the steps. Did the thumbs up from the bus driver mean I was not the first mom he has watched do this?

What kind of a mom puts a crying kid on a bus and waves goodbye?

The kind of mom that knows there are some really great kids on the bus. The mom that knows it is 1.2 miles to school and that the principal is there to greet each child as they walk in the door and would notice in an instant if one was not doing well. The mom that called the teacher to let her know what happened and asks her to keep an eye on her little girl for the day.

So, how did the day go? Better for her than for me. I picked up a smiling, joyful little girl at the end of the day. When I asked about her day, she said she was sad on the bus and a little in the morning but all of her friends were happy so it was hard to stay sad. She was able to spell the first 6 months of the year and earned a boot to her snow pal and she said the teacher read a book to class that had a song that went, "I will love you forever, I will like you for always, as long as I am living, my baby you will be."  Thank you Mrs. J.

Seeing my daughter at the end of the day, one thing came to mind immediately to me - resilience. Is it that or something else?  Is it a little girl growing up? Right now I am not sure but there is one thing that I am sure of, I am so very proud of her. 

Why We Do It

"We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do."

I read this somewhere and it sure has been my mantra returning to work after the holidays. If you said it or if you read it and can recall where, let me know and I will be sure to credit properly. Have a great weekend all!

Live With Intention

The new year has arrived.

What will you remember most about the past year? What are your hopes, your dreams, your goals, your expectations? For the new year? For your life? Not a big resolution setter myself, this time of year does provide an opportunity for reflection. I will continue to live with intention.

"Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Laugh. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Choose with no regret. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is."   Courtesy of Mary Anne Radmacher

My best to you and yours!    

Remembering to Breathe

Wrapping presents with a 6 year old, listening to the same 6 year old singing Christmas carols in church as she reads the words off the bulletin, sliding down the backyard hill, making cookies for Santa in the Easy Bake Oven, wrapping up a gingerbread house for Dad in the 1 gallon Kemps ice cream container, wrapping up a cookbook for Ms. Claus, eating crab on Christmas Eve, adding glitter to the reindeer food so Rudolph can see it from the sky, sipping a Tom and Jerry while listening to Bonnie Rideout's A Scottish Christmas - The Celebration, . . . . .filing this under remembering to breathe.

Happy Holidays to All!

Exercise. An Essential Choice.

Exercise is essential. Essential for health. Essential for well-being. Essential for life.

Why has exercise not been an essential part of my day? No time. I make time to clean the house, get the kid to school, guitar and gymnastics, to work more than a person probably should, to Christmas shop, to get my hair cut, and to volunteer with the PTO. Exercise? No time.

I have the life I have for the choices I make. I have a six year old who just yesterday was one and tomorrow will be thirteen. I want to be there running alongside her up and down the sliding hill, wrestling on the rug and carrying her when she needs a lift. I have a husband who simply cannot sit still. I want to be there beside him. 

I have to take care of myself. Taking care of myself includes exercise. For the next 3 months, I am going to the gym every Wednesday and Friday morning. I will not get the life I want if I don't do the things I say that I am going to do. For now, that means going to the gym. Because I know that I do not naturally gravitate towards exercise, I hired a personal trainer.

Time is not limitless. There is only so much of it to live.

Mukluk Owners Unite!

I bought my first, and only, pair of Steger Moosehide Mukluks last weekend.

I was in Ely shopping with some family, a light snow was falling and winter was in the air. Muklluks are handmade in one place and one place only in the whole entire world (yes, right where I was standing) and are said to be the warmest boot around. Hey, 2 pair were just shipped to Cameron Diaz. . .so, yes, I bought a pair. Thought about it as we shopped some, thought about it more over lunch and again as we went back and tried them on one more time. Impulse buy? Maybe. Incredibly soft and slipper like? Yes.

So, if you were to purchase a pair, which ones would you choose? Arctic, Navajo, or Traditional? Maybe Tall Ojibwa or Short?

In Lieu of Tricks and Treats

My daughter missed trick or treating last night. She could not go, she told her friends and anyone who would listen, because she had to go to "my show."  Yes, she was having a bad day and it was my fault. I put another dollar in her counseling fund and the family loaded up in the Pilot and headed for the cities right after school. Not one door bell was pressed this year by my kid.

Before you start sympathizing with her you have to know that she went to a Halloween Party on Saturday, had a Halloween Party for 12 of her closest little friends (hay ride and piñata included) on Sunday, wore her Ariel costume to guitar lessons on Monday, brought it to gymnastics on Tuesday and had a Fall Festival at school on Wednesday.

Still pulling for the kid? Would it help if I told you "my show" was The Lion King?

The show was, in one word, SPECTACULAR! The kid was wide mouthed, giggling, and on the edge of her seat the entire show. She stopped talking at one point, looked at me and my husband and said that she "was speechless, absolutely speechless." Taking the words out of a 6 year old's mouth. . .what an accomplishment. A little caffeine and some chocolate at intermission and she stayed with it for the entire 2 hour and 48 minute show.

Still a little bit of a tug for her? Let it go. On the way home she told us that the show was way better than trick or treating!

So Not the Drama

Did you watch High School Musical 2? I did. If it is not on the Disney Channel or kid rated at the movies, I don't get to see it.  Do I miss the drama from the network channels? Not at all. I have drama almost each and every day when I come to work. Cheers to the nice, quiet boring life I lead with the major excitement of the week being the installation of our new Trex decking. Can you say virtually maintenance free?!