eat your produce and i'll eat my coconut bread

alright, here's your PSA for the day: use your produce that you bulk-purchased awhile back because it's about to turn if it hasn't already! (speaking to myself).

i did get out for lunch today with these two yahoos... it was a quick trip to the post box to find a post card about what steps i should be taking to curb the spread. #doingmypart

as you can see, i told them to look away from the camera. not really, but they do this every time i don't prompt them with a treat. it's almost like they are trying to train me to bring treats. 

 as i mentioned before, i fear that we may have waited too long to close those beaches (and when i say we, i had nothing to do with it...no vote on the matter, don't blame me), but yeah, i'm afraid the beaches could easily have been a spreading ground...who knows. and i have been lazy the past couple days...i think tomorrow i make an effort to get up early and do a little cortez village/drawbridge walk. it's time. oh, the things we take for granted.

the county did decide to close the part of emerson point where people were gathering on the beach, which i never made it to. i guess it's all the way down the main road, but i usually just  walk the trails. it seems that there were a lot of people trying to gather there since the beaches were closed, so that's fair, as long as they leave the trails open...

so i said i was going backward a bit. last week on thursday, i did a little panic breakfast, because a. i couldn't remember how long peachey's was going to be in town, and b. see a. i mean....donut/pretzel truck falls under essentials, right? i submit that yes, yes as a matter of fact, it does. #needs and they did say that they planned to be coming to our local ace hardware parking lot on thursdays through april...if things go as planned they'll be able to head back out to the festivals and fairs. i hope this is the case.

my krytonite. #covidweakness

i received my special purchase (let's be honest we all been 'special-purchasing' on amazon and blaming it on coronavirus...i see you!) so yes, my special purchase arrived. i am going to be pretty excited about this if a month or two down the way it's as good as it touts itself to be... i got the SIMPLEFRESH shampoo and conditioner bars! i tried them, and they do lather up as promised, and have a lovely minty smell (the ones i chose), they are the sulfate-free, which if this works as expected, i will be able to travel without tsa fear, and no spillage! i'm about 3-4 months past time for my brazilian blowout! but now it gets strategic. i am going against what i know i should do. i plan to cut it now-gives plenty of time for it to grow out before i see anyone...and wait until it gets closer to the 'un-locking of the lock-down' in which groups of 10 or more can congregate to use product and do the actual blowout process- until then we'll stick with messy bun + headband. but let's just be real, even once life has been unlocked, i don't even know a group of 10 here to congregate with... mine would be a group of at most 6. maybe at that point we just adopt a few random unknowns to join the group just for a 're-congregation' event. yeah, no. but yes, so i like the bars so far (see how i took us back?), and i will let you know after a couple months if hair is healthy or not!

you'll be happy to know that i did cook up my spaghetti squash today, and plan to continue eating that tomorrow (single issues-must eat multiple meals of the same thing so it doesn't go to waste). but i like it, so all's well. i still have more produce to get on the plate...i suppose i can freeze the spinach if need be to make smoothies later. we'll see where we are in a day or two!

oh! i also did my 90 second keto bread, but i modified the recipe- i recommend using the original. yes. quinoa flour is a bit more dense than almond flour. so next time i will stick with the almond flour, perhaps use a little more baking powder, and i think oil works better than butter...but i still ate it! just so you know, in the past, i have tried it with coconut flour as well, and it was also dense. but i do like the idea of making fresh mini-loaves, because if you have the raw ingredients, you can make it and eat it.

size-palm of your hand

made in a mug

speaking of bread, my friend from a lifetime ago back in HONDURAS posted something MUCH BETTER return visit home! anyhoo, i saw the recipe, and tonight i went through the pantry to see if i have the necessary ingredients, and i think i do! i need this. (don't judge, coconut bread is like paradise for me...it truly is amazing how smells and tastes can transport you to a different time and place...and take a toll on your waist and thighs. #cursescoronavirus for giving us so much down time).
today that immediately made my ears perk up and my mouth was watering! coconut bread, ya'all! in fact the last time i mentioned coconut bread was back when i was planning my

before i close it down, just take a moment to think about the things that you take  took for granted. moving freely. not worrying when someone coughed or sneezed. shaking hands. hugs. toilet paper. not worrying about the next paycheck (if that is not an issue for you right now, consider yourself blessed and pray for those who are, because it is THE ONLY THING on their mind). now, for those of you in the U.S. know that we are much more fortunate than so many countries, and think about the fact that even before the world-wide pandemic, and so many countries enforcing some sort of quarantine, many countries have issues that we have not had to suffer, like having certain confines for the sake of safety, be it due to gangs, rogue governments, sickness, terrorism, fill in the blank...the fact that we have costcos, walmarts, targets, sam's clubs, amazon...this is not a luxury for everyone. be grateful for what you have, and be empathetic for those in less fortunate circumstances. #prayforall

well, i do think that will wrap it up for tonight! best to everyone-
julie

so do your best, and be satisfied with that

alright, so i'm guessing that i will have some sort of comment about the COVID 19 thing on a daily basis for awhile. today let's just discuss how there are some unique issues for florida. it is especially hard for florida because we have about 24% of the population in that 60 Plus age group, so they are particularly vulnerable...and of those, i'm guessing it's a high percentage that are hard-headed and not real containment-followers. (i've seen it with my own eyes). another reason this is a difficult time for florida is because the main product of florida is tourism...that is what drives the economy, so when everything is being shut down and for safety's sake, you really don't want to import sickness, that kind of a shutdown will do a number. another issue for florida is: spring break. and yes, the beaches were open at that time, i have a feeling the state gov was hoping to get as much revenue as possible and hoping for the best before closing the beaches down, but, alas, we all know the spring break crew is not always thinking about others and tend to air on the 'it's all about me' side...at least this year it seemed rather visible. it was ugly. the JUST DON'T CARE CROWD is dangerous.

thankfully that is over. but...um, i just heard this morning on the news that several new yorkers (don't take it personally if you are from new york and happen to not be a violator, not talking to you, breathe...but if you are a violator, please quarantine...) traveled down this way and out of NY when they heard "lock-down", which means there is an unknown amount of people who could easily have been carriers inadvertently spreading that cv around! boo.

i was also thinking about the fact that it wouldn't be too unrealistic to imagine that some of the superbowl visitors were carriers, because the virus was already in the news at that point...30K coming into the airport daily...90k leaving on march 3...i mean is it such a stretch? MIA being an international airport...

i will say that streets were pretty dead when i went out after work this afternoon, so that is a good sign. why was i out? i needed some truvia, shrimp, a large bag of coffee and bleach (which i still couldn't find). but while i was there, since it was so dead, i got a few extra things, and felt a tinge of guilt because the wireless mouse and the squiggly eyes weren't essentials. but don't worry about me and my conscience, it didn't last long. and when i got back to the apt, it was a welcome surprise when i opened my mailbox and found a package with the skin so soft that i had ordered! i am in a kayakers group on FB and multiple peeps had replied to a thread that this was the most effective against no-see-ums, which just are the bane of my existence, and it's about that time of year again, so i thought it was worth a try! i mean if you can't trust your fellow kayaking fb group, who can you trust?!

so the googly eyes weren't necessities...until they are.

so, as i mentioned before, i have gotten used to the working from home gig, but it loses its 'cool' factor when it's a government mandate! i feel for those who are trying to do this with kids in the house-what a completely different dynamic. your kids aren't like my pups who are content to do this for 8 hours:

just gonna' rest for a minute...or all day

what? don't judge.

give yourselves a break, this is new territory. don't expect that you will be as productive as usual if you are new to this lifestyle of juggling work and kids and their schoolwork, and making their meals, and the list goes on...but don't sweat it. everyone is in the same boat, and it will be temporary madness. do what you can, and do it well. it is much more important that your family knows that you love and value them, so do whatever it takes to make sure that you actively love and value them! if that means you need to take a break to just listen or laugh or cry, then do that. this will end, and you will get back into a work routine, but relationships are fragile things, and need to be nurtured. so do your best, and be satisfied with that.

go forth and be your best for yourself and for your family!
julie

what are you wearing, jake from manatee emergency response?

why did i wake up at 2 am this morning? and why, pray-tell, when not able to sleep again, did i start looking on my phone and googling to see who the governors were in all 50 states? i was surprised to see how many female governors there are! also: HAM radio...why? one thought leads to another and before i knew it i was planning a desert for covid quarantine... baked apples with a hint of cinnamon. hmm...what do i have that would make a good "crumble" and not be overly unhealthy? *mentally goes through pantry, nothing there, walks to cabinet (still mentally), finally settles on oatmeal crumble...

eventually i had to turn on my pzizz app to get to sleep. it took a few minutes, but that just gave me time to pray for a myriad of things, including so many people who are out of work, worried about the next ___________ (insert worry here, rent payment, car payment, grocery bill, etc). the restaurant worker, the bartender, the artist, the entrepreneur, the most recently hired, who may be the first to be laid off when it gets too tight. economy is important, and it really stinks that we've had to go to these extremes to halt everything. #unintendedconsequences ....don't get me wrong, i get it. i understand the reasoning, but there has to be a smart way to do both. also, MAJOR praying that these drugs that have been anecdotally successful elsewhere will have a positive effect to take off some of the edge and the fear that's out there!

also on the covid19 thread, there was a FB live manatee county update today, and the guy who was the main speaker taking questions from the local commissioners was named JAKE!!! so OBviously, every time they said his name, i was like "ok, JAKE FROM STATE FARM...what are you wearing?!" we all know he was probably wearing a specialized mask and latex gloves... HA! but in that meeting, they did vote to shut down the public boat launches except for commercial fishermen because idiots be going out in large groups and amassing on the local sandbars and beer can island (which was also shut down) ...a few idiots ruin it for everyone. for the love, people, is it so hard to not be stupid? this is why we can't have nice things...apparently nice things make us feel entitled and invincible. if i had a boat, i would be so mad at these people- it would be throw-down time. probably a good thing i do not have a boat!

OH MY GOODNESS!! i almost forgot!! another thing that came to mind when i was mulling the intricacies of life at 2:45 am... my TENT! for whatever reason, my brain decided that this was the appropriate time to think about how fun it would be to buy a box fan and set up my tent in the 2nd garage. yep. i made a sleepy mental note to check the dimensions to determine if i could set it up and where i would put the kayak. so yes, i actually did remember to look at the dimensions this afternoon when i saw the tent in garage #1, and i think it might actually work! but it didn't seem like quite as brilliant of an idea when i was awake and coherent. still...it's out there, if i need a change of scenery! figure out a way to make fake smores...isn't there like smore's ice cream, cereal, etc? maybe that's the key, maybe i do a theme- camping with smores, and every meal is something smore-ish. maybe not. the by product of covid19 = stupidity thinking.

and ya'all. how incredible is ford? (i got to visit the ford museum and park when i was a youngster, but that is a story for a different time!) first off, they are already working on retrofitting to help build the much-needed 3m masks, face shields, and ventilators...#KUDOS ! but also, did you know, back in the day the stopped everything to create B52 bombers back in WWII?! AND they also met the need to provide IRON LUNGS back when they were needed for polio victims?! that makes me so proud of them for filling the need! when asked about if they were going to get paid for this, the ceo said, we'll sort that out later, there is a need and we're going to first meet the need! (the american spirit-may it never die!) don't get me wrong, i'm sure they know that one way or another they will probably get paid handsomely for these items, but also it keeps so many people in work that might have otherwise lost jobs. #thanksford #totallyagainstnationalizing

so, one of the things that was mentioned on today's county update was one of the commissioners suggesting closing emerson point! WHAT?! (it's a good thing i don't know what he looks like, or who he is, or what kind of car he drives!) that was were i was able to go get out on saturday, and i didn't see very many people there. it was pretty isolated where i was, so i'm not sure where he got his views from. he mentioned groups of people congregated on the shore lines...first of all, there aren't really any beaches, and if there is shoreline and large groups congregating, send out officers, and ticket those idiots! c'mon, now.

if we're friends on fb, you have probably already seen the following, but these are views from emerson point. again, i was there in the afternoon, and it was in the 80s, and humid, so i didn't cross the path of many. emerson point is just across the river and around the bend, across the river from desoto national park- i think of the two as 'sister parks' because they seem to mirror each other, with desoto being the history from the spanish settlers' view, and emerson being more the indigenous perspective. there is an archaeological mound there and information about the livelihood of the natives. emerson has more trails and hiking mileage. i got in my 10k plus steps, so i was quite satisfied. one set of trails borders a stream and almost the entirety of the trails has great shade coverage. there are great views to the bay and to the river. as i said i encountered few humans-less than 12 the entire 2 hours i was there, and no sneezing or coughing, so i feel pretty safe about it. but for precaution's sake, i lysoled before getting in the car, and hand sanitizing. the longer trails on the north side are very sandy-dirt, and when i got home, i could see exactly HOW dirty when i shed the socks and shoes and saw the dirt line, taking me back to childhood days of playing outside and getting dirtier than one should..but i suppose that's the best way to keep that immune system up? or so i tell myself. i will likely return with visitors, but i do prefer Robinson Preserve, with the specialized trail and the manicured shell trails. that said, i did enjoy a couple very remote spots in the preserve where the birds were really chattering and it was lovely!

the view from the 'lookout tower'- refreshing

there were a couple people fishing off the end of the dock, and there were a couple guys out waist-deep fishing about 1/4 mile down the shoreline.

the bee hotel- a place for different types of bees to come hang out

lots of open space. there is a kayak launch here that might be worth checking out.

so that was weekend fun.

let me bring you back to this week... things are crazy and moving at warp speed- almost faster than it probably needs to be. this means many group meetings and webinars and conference calls, some of them overlapping, which makes it hard to compartmentalize and separate to pinpoint what was said during which meeting and who else happened to be in those same meetings...so it will be a practice in organization to keep everything straight!

i think that is where we are for right now! now, remember how i mentioned HAM radio earlier? well, i'm glad i had the presence of mind to recall that and have bookmarked the page i was looking at, because i think i might revisit it...perhaps, maybe there will be a HAM radio operator license in my future- only time will tell!

have a great evening- no hoarding!
julie

don't touch me, don't breathe on me...i mean just don't even look at me!

oh goodness...well, just washed my hands, lysoled everything in the room...noticing how much gravitational pull my face has in relationship to my hands.

so much going on! what a strange time. i suppose with that, there will be plenty of time to go back and do some catching up, but for now, let's try to start with today and move our way back-with what i'm sure will be some time hiccups, because it will be current events mixed with past events, but i will do my best to not confuse you with the timeline!

so starting with today, it is monday again. does this work from home gig remind anyone of groundhog's day? just checking, i'm used to it, so perhaps there will be a tips corner to come... the difference is i enjoyed saying, "i GET to work from home!" and that has changed for everyone to: i HAVE to work from home...it just doesn't have the same ring! but some of you are, i'm sure, enjoying not putting on the make-up, doing the hair, etc. or you may be like one of my friend who can't help but dress up and always be 'on' (karla, lookin' at you! i'm just jealous that you have that much motivation! ALWAYS! #yougogirl)

so, i think florida has done an unofficial lock-down, or then again, maybe it's official, i did see that it was one of the few states that showed red on the map, but that could mean anything when you have the sound on mute. could mean: lock-down, most cases of the virus, most idiots out on the beach from other states invading the beaches and spreading the virus and infecting others because they have no clue they're asymptomatic carriers....like i said, could be pretty much anything.

even before the POTUS made the STAY HOME suggestion, i was trying to be mindful. i'm pretty good at isolating myself, and avoiding people. i tend to do this naturally when i shop as well (dodging people, looking for empty aisles to avoid traffic..) i did my last big 'shopping spree' last week, and i'm not one of those buy everything people. in other words, you wouldn't look at my cart and roll your eyes, i'm fairly practical and rational. besides, i have a bunch of the perishables, as that is part of hurricane preparedness. and i'd already gotten my 12 rolls of tp the week before everyone started panic buying (because i was legit out). and i'd gotten the multipack kleenex boxes before it was the 'in thing' to do. so yes, i have my emergency manwich, cheerios and tuna, which for real won't get eaten until the gates are padlocked and aliens are hovering over the community pool...

i knew that our county parks and preserves are still open, so i decided to get up early this morning to walk the track over at Robinson Preserve. it was a beautiful morning with a slight mist when i arrived. exercise is still a permissible 'get-out' so i got out early, as there are so few people wanting to venture out at that hour. the track there is about 10-12 ft wide, so plenty of distance if people are passing by. and i am always on the awares to make sure i run the opposite direction if i see anyone cough or sneeze! seriously though, i have yet to come across anyone who seems to have symptoms of such. i know, i know that doesn't mean they aren't 'carriers', which is why i haven't been going up to randoms and collecting their sweat, or wiping my brow on their shorts... #takingprecautions so yes, it was a gorgeous morning, and i may make this a routine since the beach is shut down. i may intermittently get over to cortez village and walk the empty streets over there and do the bridge if i can find parking at the museum park. that's really the only getting out that i've been doing. so yes, taking it seriously. in fact today i almost called out a group of 'walkers' i mean, there were like 6 of them in a cluster 2 ft or less! ugh. and they were 60+ ...do they not watch the news? let's not go blaming just the millennials! i DID give them a dirty look...or maybe i just thought it.

look at that mist!

watch with sound on!

as my cousin suggested- zen and calming!

i will say that i've been able to participate in one of my favorite pastimes- letter-writing. so that's fun too...the only thing is i don't have much in the line of great stationery stash at this time, and when i was at the store the other day, i couldn't find any covid19 cards, so i decided too bad, so sad, it may just end up being legal paper with donut stickers ore something fun like that. and i'm getting a little nervous looking at my stamp-situation...i may have to go to the post-office, if i can find an off-time...i mean, since anthrax scare isn't a thing anymore.

i may have to make my own COVID19 cards...

so, for the time being, lysol your life, take your temperature and consider all you can do to stay safe!

julie

i only did it for the paddle board...lies. #feelinghealthy

as i mentioned, i have been on a weight loss journey since last december. this began after i was looking at some pics with friends, and not fitting into my favorite clothing. those were the two main catalysts. i'm sure there were other identifiers that i just was not seeing (we all have our own blinders). 
                                                                                                       
here's the thing, when i looked at myself daily in the mirror, i didn't notice the changes, because they were so gradual. and even more interesting, is it just me, or do most people naturally perceive themselves as they are in their most flattering pictures of days gone by??! HA!

by the time i finally decided to make a change (for once in my life..it's gonna feel real good gonna make a difference...gonna make it right..woMAN in the mirror-thanks michael for the inspiration), blahblahblah, make a change, i was about 30-ish pounds over what i wanted to be. the lobster mac and cheese, fresh sea scallops, traveling, inconsistency and poor habits caught up with me and were making a statement (on my hips, thighs and stomach...cue garth brooks only the lyrics would change from thunder to :and the stomach rolls...) ...so yes, it was time.

                                                                             
once i came to that conclusion, i decided to try the very motivating method i had tried a couple of times in the past when i needed to get back in control...once in a group challenge, in which i won $, the second time (last year), in which i did not meet my goal, and lost $. but it had helped motivate me. i signed up for HEALTHY WAGE (<- that's a link/invitation if you'd like to check it out), basically it allows you to bet on yourself to lose weight.

the prize increases the more you plan to lose, and you can adjust the amount you want to bet on yourself. so by meeting my initial goal, if i won back the money i had put into it every month, plus an additional 60%,  i had made plans.

alright, so i signed up for Healthy Wage back around december 19th, pretty spontaneously after looking at those pictures. i wasn't happy with where i was, and this had worked before, i am a very self-motivated person. but then there's the holidays and food (maybe not the wisest choice to start in december)...and meetings and travel..and more food. uf. so, come march, i was NOT happy with the progress; i think i had only lost water weight. maybe. and the problem with that is i drank more water and gained it back. ugh. at which point, i was off track and figured i wouldn't get my money from HW...but i wasn't throwing in the towel yet.

in march i decided it was time to do something different, due to lack of results, and i decided i would start NOOM. (<- another invitation link for 20% off). i'd seen an ad, and wasn't sure what to think, but what i'd tried in the past wasn't working, so i needed to try something different. i downloaded the app and got started, figuring the first week free would give me a taste and i could decide. i chose to stick with it after the first week, and i have not been disappointed. it added the layer that i was missing.

 what is it? they put together great research articles, and i got into a habit of logging my food and daily goals to hit a certain amount of steps. it really set me up for success, and every morning the first thing i would do is read the daily articles, and weigh myself. then, being a morning person, i get up for my #morningwalks. the big key is that it helped with the psychology aspect of breaking some poor routines and replacing them with healthy habits and thought processes, looking at food and exercise and goal-making differently. there is a personal coach, and i chose minimal interaction, because i don't need a ton of accountability, but if you do, you can request more interaction. i really wanted to set the pace, set my goals, and the coach would just check-in weekly to see where we are. then eventually you have a group and a group coach- a little more social interaction if that's your thing.

back in april, after a couple weeks of using NOOM, it was a treat yourself day...my phone wasn't accurately tracking my steps, so my treat was a fit-bit. this was part number 3 of my success. i began taking my steps more seriously, and made sure to get my 10k steps in the mornings before work (this meant getting up at 5:30...morning person) and the fit-bit also inspired me to get moving throughout the day- that 250 steps every hour, which was health-changing!!

when these are your morning walk views, you don't tend to mind mornings as much! and now that it's getting hotter in the afternoons, mornings seem an even better idea!

 the other plus is that i started to monitor my sleep habits and when my NOOM experience is over, it will help with the meal logging (just not the color-coded budgeting, which was so KEY when i began..fortunately over time, you begin to pick up on the color codes so that they become routine and will carry over after we're 'done'). 

may rolled around, and i had just been in nyc, i wasn't sure i'd meet my healthy wage goal, and i'd kinda' resigned myself to it, until i had a last minute push. i got a little militant for a couple weeks on my portions and exercise. then while i was at a PD session for work, in orlando, i was SO CLOSE!!! i went to our session, had a great day, went back to the hotel and weighed in...within 1/2 lb, so i went for an evening walk up the hill, back down and around the sea world park and back, before dinner or water, desperate to just officially do a final weigh in video and be done..(freakin' double tree warm walnut chocolate chip cookie from the day before-my nemesis!)...

it was an amazing conference...especially the second day;it was in spanish!

i'd watched a ted-talks video that a colleague had post (thanks mike) and the one that followed was just as amazing, as it was titled the MATH OF LOSING WEIGHT. if you're into the explanation, physics, a little chemistry, it is pretty amazing! in fact, i was fascinated. basically one of the things he was saying was when we breathe out we release carbon into the air and that accounts for about 84% of the fat loss, i just wanted to sit and breathe more...but as he mentioned, that would just be hyperventilating, and eventually i would pass out. uf, another great plan foiled!

so i took that walk and breathed as much as i could thinking, "demon carbon, in the name of all that is good, get thee out of my body!!" and would you believe it, i got back to the hotel, weighed in and i was about 1/2 lb below where i needed to be, so i took the video, and i cannot even begin to express how ecstatic i was!!

so yes, i did in fact get a check, not a hoax. (had it been, after all the hard work, i would have been hunting someone down!)

because i met my goal, i was able to put the money i had invested back into savings, and i still had enough left with the 60% from the bet-won, that i was able to get an inflatable SUP board (stand-up-paddle board), which converts to kayak mode with a chair to sit in and conversion paddle. it seems a worthy use of the winnings to be able to continue healthy adventuring! i already had a first opportunity to take it out, here are a couple of shots on how that went!

i've learned a lot about thought distortions and planning, and so much more, so would i recommend this? yes. did i still have opportunities to eat what my mouth craved? yes (as long as i planned well). i don't think i felt deprived of anything...i mean, i even had the GOOD PIZZA in brooklyn!

i still have a few weeks left with NOOM, and it has been a positive experience.  if all goes as planned, and i have learned well, i should never have to be in that situation again! smiles. as for the secondary goal, it is simply to get a little further down so that i am in a comfortable healthy range that can fluctuate a couple of pounds and still be comfortable in my own skin! the tertiary goal is just to get routines in place to tighten up and tone up!

it's not really even about the weight, it's more about the level of confidence and feeling healthy, breathing easy and not having to buy  new wardrobe. looking forward to many adventures ahead. this is the only post i plan to do on this, and now we can get back to the business of what's been happening, and what shenanigans have we been into!

keep it real!
julie

P.S. here are the links again if you are interested in either or both programs i mentioned:

HEALTHY WAGE- personal weight loss challenge, they also have step challenges and smaller challenges https://hwage.co/243999 (you get a $40 added to your prize when you sign up-it gets added to whatever you 'bet')

and if you aren't the betting type, but you are interested in learning to break and replace habits and losing weight/getting in shape the RIGHT way:

NOOM- psychology, still eat well, it just makes sense! https://friends.noom.com/YUJIR0sxVFY3OmNm

OWN your circus! be the main act- and support everyone in your show!

OH my goodness. so sorry. my life was interrupted by laziness and writer's block...

it's going to take a minute to back-track through some stuff, so i'll begin with the present and what is currently happening, and do some flashbacks to get caught-up-ish.

i just got back from our SUMMER CONFERENCE for istation- an excellent company to work for, i might add! we had some great planners, kudos to joyce and alicia for all of the planning and work that went into every aspect from leading up to it, down to the conference itself! all of the session presenters did an incredible job-thorough and fun, even a couple of the large group presenters brought it with the theme! lori always has a hand in the planning and preparations, and brian is the man behind the scenes, who always pulls the details together and makes things work like a well-oiled machine! suzanne, sabrina and jami put together welcome boxes (thank you!), and then there was a whole host of teammates doing the teammate thing to make sure things were ready on day 1! but i would say one of my favorite things was when our president/coo walked in, and she was in character! that says a lot about the culture of a company, and i couldn't ask for a better company to work for. #alwaysgrowing #foreverimproving

our theme was "the greatest showman", everything BIG-TOP. so we were, of course, asked to dress the part. :) we were also asked to send in a quick vid of us saying "this is the greatest show"...if you're going to do it, do it right, right?

PLEASE note that 'show' is slightly FLAT, i didn't have the music playing...and i didn't want to force my videographer to spend any more time than necessary (they charge by the hour..j/k thanks to shea for video credits and handling of the phone, flash-lighting, location, etc. production is everything!)

partial pic...my photographer couldn't find the panoramic in time!

it's not a real circus without the animal crackers

i mean, between slick and his sound engineer, i don't know who was more the comedian...(colleagues, please see julie k's video or lori h's video for proof! 1,2,3,4...5!)

it's all about the show and making people smile, folks!

we had a great time, there was some valuable information to take back, and we got to know new faces and personalities! good times! our team has grown, as we've combined support, implementation, virtual, and professional development to really become a customer support team- all on the same page with the same mission. the girl scouts song serves as good advice: MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT KEEP THE OLD ONE IS SILVER AND THE OTHER GOLD.

i appreciate these two SO much!

i arrived early enough to do lunch with two dear friends- it has been way overdue! it was a joy to catch up over a little mexican food! you know how sometimes you're lucky enough to keep in touch with your mentors and friends? that's what this was- i consider myself fortunate!

then my friend julie picked me up from the office, and we got to hang out prior to everyone else arriving. we needed a little catch-up/hang-out time, because we knew we wouldn't really get that opportunity throughout the week, being at different houses. i did enjoy my house-group, all amazing ladies and we never get to work together, so we had good conversation.

about 2 weeks prior to our conference, i had fulfilled a goal (Primary Goal...i still have secondary and tertiary goals to focus on) that was time sensitive, which i'd been working at diligently and put a lot of commitment into. i'd been on a weight-loss/get-healthy journey since december. so when i arrived, i really hadn't seen any of my colleagues for several months -30 lbs lighter, and fitting back into the clothes that i was too stubborn to let go (call me strong-willed and motivated..please?)... some friends had questions, so i will address them by plotting out the journey in my next post, and explain why i believe that i've finally found the exit from the roller coaster i've ridden before! stay tuned!

this IS our circus, and more often than not, it's a juggling show to determine when is the time to be a lion tamer, ring master, human cannon ball, cotton candy maker, or clown... noting that there definitely is a time for everything!

blessings- (and peanuts and cotton candy),
julie

nothing says september like busy!

wow...august 19th seems like an eternity ago!

since then i've been just as busy. i drove over to the east coast and got to do some pd sessions in village green and north miami beach area, palm beach and broward county, then down to naples... followed up by a trip up to buffalo, with a few days to be home before heading off to miami to work with a colleague in the greater miami area. my parents got a chance to visit-they are at my place right now, while i am up in gainesville for a quick training tomorrow and back!

so let's unpack this a little. the miami area professional developments have been fast and furious, but you know that they've been a hit when you have participants say they understand the program so much better now that they've had training! and then a couple teachers from one campus had been at our training last year just after IRMA had her way...and they said this time was even better because they had used the program for a year, and this time they were able to come into the session with a different purpose!

i didn't choose the room...the room chose me.

buffalo. oh buffalo. let me begin by saying that working with a larger group is always fun, because we do a lot of communicating prior to the sessions to get everything planned. this was a fun group; i missed one or two of the planning sessions, due to our schedules just not matching up. the theme for this group was BIRTHDAY! which is entirely appropriate, as it is istation's 20th birthday...so we wore the cutest little aprons and birthday hats and headbands. it's strange because i used to be SUPER into dressing up for parties (not fancy, 'real' parties, KAMP parties, a completely different type of dress-up, in which you go through the skit closet and find the gaudiest, silliest costume possible)... this felt somewhat similar just because i would NEVER wear an apron when baking... just not an apron girl, i guess. but the sessions were successful and the purposes were met #happyparticipants

playing our games!

love the architecture up in buffalo!

it's been so crazy go-go-going, that shea and i haven't gotten a chance to hang out, so hopefully in the next few weeks we'll be able to go do the fun things on the weekends! and if we're lucky the red-tide issues will become a non-issue!

i headed down to miami again last sunday and met up with one of my colleagues, and this was the first time that we were getting to work together. we had a fabulous dinner, and i was able to take her down and show her the wynwood walls. i was fascinated by them the first time hellen took me down to see them, so i figured i should share them! we took google's short-cut through the hood, no worries. then we were near kush, so i had to share that gem with her as well and we had mouth-watering burgers that were beyond-filling!

i do think this is such a great attraction

in the morning, we got out to the rogue-i love the keyless fob action! until i realize that the keyless fob is in my pack that i dumped into the tailgate and slammed shut. i guess when you do this, the car doors won't open, and they sure didn't! so what does one do? well, i called national and they said it would take about 90 minutes and $57. hmm. we didn't have that kind of time, so we uber-ed and of course, the handouts were in the back...so at least i had my computer! we printed off just one of the handouts that i felt would be the most beneficial, and emailed the rest to the instructional coach...i did offer for them to follow us back to the hotel to wait for the locksmith and get the handouts, but no takers.

so of course there was a problem with my usb thumb-drive, and the files were corrupted or something of that nature, and i couldn't access them, so we had to email them to the secretary to print...eeeee.

then the projector, we were afraid it wasn't going to function because it took Waaaaaayyyyy longer than necessary to boot up (time for a new bulb). anyhoo, we finally got situated and both sessions went smoothly. improvise and go-with the flow. i feel like i've gotten very good at it this year!

at least the view was nice!

only thing keeping me sane

then we got back to the hotel and the little duckies were still out and about-they came to greet us! so friendly. thankfully our locksmith guy got there in a timely fashion, and i was able to get sonya to the airport for her flight! then i made my drive home, through alligator alley.

my parents drove down to visit for a few days. the timing isn't ideal, because it's still hot down here, and it's still busy-time for me, but i'll take anything i can get! the past two days during the day i've been busy with preparing for tomorrow's training, as it is a bit different than the sessions that i've had most of august up to now. but we were able to get out to myakka yesterday afternoon, because they hadn't gone yet. we tried to go to the starfish for dinner, but it was closed for until this weekend, so we went to swordfish, but it was closed for remodeling...so we went next door to cortez kitchen and had the grouper and mahi sandwiches, as there isn't as much variety; but it was decent, and there weren't too many people there, so we had better service than the last time i'd been there!

true sports, we went all the way to the top- far above the tree tops (77 ft)

braving the swinging bridge at the tower

thursday we stopped by the river walk before dinner, and then i headed out a little later than i like, but the drive was an easy drive. it rained a little, then once it got dark, i was behind another car which swerved back into the middle lane. the next thing i saw was a huge shadow. somehow one of the orange construction barrels had gotten loose and was laying in the path...i was doing around 80, because anything less is like nails on the chalkboard of driving...anyhoo. needless to say, i killed it! and dragged it...and was able to pull off to the side. fortunately it was a plastic orange barrel, and crumpled under the car. i thought it would be in front of the car, being pushed, but no. it had to go and get itself lodged under my car. uf. so i may or may not have had to lay on my stomach to reach it and start trying to move it and un-wedge it. when i finally got it from the mid section toward the driver side near the tire, i put the car in reverse, moved a few inches, tried to pull, fwd, pull a little more, back, get out on my knees and move it around again, back in the car, repeat...i was finally able to get it out from under my car, and hopefully no damage was done, except to my pride. i threw it with disgust and disdain into the median and reprimanded it. i think it learned its lesson.

pretty sure the girl at the check-in counter probably wondered what the cat drug in...

this could have been a very bad experience. fortunately i got a good night sleep, and the session with admin and coaches went very well! i look forward to working with them again!

i got home friday night to hang out with mom and dad, and we had a great breakfast the next morning before they left to check out alabama to see about different areas where they might find a new landing spot! 

the following week was another quick drive to miami for the last scheduled bridgeprep training! it went very well, and i knew it would because the scenery on the way there was a good omen! and i finally got to meet the woman with the plan in person! it was a really great staff to work with!

oh, but this lighting!!

that almost wraps up september...next post: september 22.

until then-julie