At the Crossroads, Yoga, and Disneyland

Although I have been writing, it’s mostly been for classes or work related. In fact, I have been so busy doing things that my internal schedule is off and I cannot sleep. Lucky you, or better yet, lucky me to take the time to write and maybe be able to rest after.

This weekend is homecoming. The last few years I have been participating in the 5k as a runner. For this event and other running events, I usually see friends participating. In the past, I have either been part of a group making plans to participate, or I have shared and asked on Facebook. I’ve even had friends come specifically to cheer (I have done the same) as their participation, which has even meant standing out in the cold waiting with me for the race to start, and trying to keep warm or find me to take pictures while I am on the course. Most of these friends are still around and participating in events. I usually find out because of a Facebook post after the fact or because we run into each other after the end of the race. For this weekend’s event, I decided to do it anyways, even though my training barely worked. I was on a roll with the c25k (couch to 5k) app for a few weeks, practicing all 3 days. After that, I went once a week a few more times, and the last time I walked most of the time. I am changing the goal I had of running the entire course to enjoying the event and running as much as possible (it’s faster and warmer). I think it’ll work..

Classes have been what I have been up to the most. I only have two and they keep me hopping. I am a part of an undergraduate research lab and a writing creative non-fiction class. Both require a lot of reading on top of any writing. I don’t mind the work, though, because the material is great. I want to be there. In fact, the last time I had a semester like this it was in the fall semester just before finishing the MBA program. Both those classes had big impacts, and I believe these will, too. They are pushing me forward.

What about everything else? I have felt at a crossroads for a while. In fact, when I read the blog posts for my job I can usually identify with the topic, and many times they seem to match what is happening in my life. It’s almost freaky, err, magical. Others must feel that way, too, since there are lots of conversations and special products tend to sell out. This post here resonated with me even more than usual cause I know I am in a place of crossroads, and it is a matter of the direction I choose (or not) as to what happens.

One direction I chose to go was west, all the way to California, to attend #SGSoCAL. I love Startup Grind conferences, and this gave me a chance to attend and also support the HQ team. Having the chance to interact, even a little bit, and also mingle with the attendees, was inspiring. The inspiration helps me. There is a lot of energy and things moving because people are putting their all into their business passion. It makes you want to help them and it makes you want to move, too. Plus, the week in Los Angeles was like returning to mid-summer. The temperature even topped 100 degrees F one day. It was worth the heat and especially the sunshine, and I made new friends, besides seeing some current friends. I have barely returned for a week and that week in Los Angeles already seems a long time ago.

Right before I left for Los Angeles, I kicked off the day with one of my yoga instructors and one of her friends at an event called Soul Pose, a yoga party. I love yoga and all the things that they added to the event, so it was a great kickoff for me. I even had a chance in Los Angeles to do yoga on the beach. In September! That doesn’t happen in Michigan except on a fluke.

And then there was Disneyland. The first and last time I was ever in the Los Angeles area I went with my grandmother (Bubbi) shortly after I turned 16 years old. It was the first time I had ever been on a plane and the first time to California. I don’t remember a lot about it except that we did NOT go to Disneyland. I believe we went to Universal Studios and CBS Studios. Plus, a couple of teens around the same age had moved from my block to live with their grandmother out there and we went to the Pacific Ocean. No Disneyland, though. Maybe it was too expensive or far away. I’m not sure, other than it did not happen.

When two of my friends at Startup Grind found out that I was coming to #SGSoCAL, they each separately told me that I HAD to go to Disneyland (one even made it a “last request” before he left). It’s not that they really needed to twist my arm as much as that they were even trying to. I found out at the conference that they were tag teaming me and discussing what to write while sitting next to each other and sending me separate messages. In the end, they may have both been more excited than I was that I got to go. Neither of them are at HQ anymore, so the effort to keep in touch will be different.

Thanks for reading to the end! Time to run.

Cheers,

Stacy

 

First Day and Two Favorite Apps

Tuesday, September 6th was the first day of school for many students in the area, all different levels. I began classes this past week, too, although not until Wednesday. It was fun to look at all the postings that appeared on Facebook. As I took a picture, all I could think of was “I’m melting.” The photo did not go up on Facebook, and I do not really want to post it here, either. The temperature had been hot and the humidity high. Thankfully, both have dropped.

This leads me to a completely different topic that I almost titled “My two best friends.” The first is Runkeeper. The reason I like it is because there is a social interaction with friends. I used to have a longer list of friends. When trying to update my last name I ended up starting a new profile. That’s ok, though, because I have had some people accept. The interactions are through “likes,” comments, and being able to see that others are running through their activities. It doesn’t matter to me about the time or distance being faster or further than mine cause I am not trying to compare. I am curious why friends run – training, regular exercise, etc, and will ask. All of those examples help because they motivate me to get out and do it, too.

My second “best friend” app is c25k, which stands for “couch to 5k.” It is set up so you run three times a week for 8 weeks and gradually increase the running over the walking until you can run an entire 5k (3.1 miles). I have run 5ks before, and I have even run without stopping until the finish line. I started over because I haven’t been able to run straight through in a couple of years (at least), and a 5k coming up in October is one I have never been able to run the entire course without walking parts of it. This year may be the last time I enter this particular race, so whether or not I have friends who participate in it, I am doing it. The training started with week two because of the time until the event. To date, I have finished week two and three and day one of week four. Yay!

I have been pairing yoga with running since yoga keeps me stretched out and then I run better. It has been a fun adventure so far. Thank you, to my friends who are on Runkeeper. Also, thank you to my Safety Buddy. My Safety Buddy only knows when and where I am running, yet that is an important social interaction, too, beyond just the “safety” part.

Do you have a first day of school or running story to share?

Cheers,

Stacy

The Bicycle Ride and Dancing it Out

It hasn’t happened in a long time where I have lost my motivation. I’m pretty much self-driven with a lot of things, including exercise, at least in the realms that I like. Lately, I haven’t wanted to run, and even though I am on a summer unlimited pass, I haven’t been to yoga since the middle of last week. Whether or not this seems weird to you, it definitely seems weird to me.

My homework this weekend was fitting for these thoughts. I started an online Holistic Living class. Since it is summer, that also means double time, and that technically I am already two weeks in with the four lessons. One of the topics discussed the continuum of balance that we are on which goes between chaos and stagnation. Those on the chaos end feel overwhelmed and those on the stagnate end get bored. Or, maybe unmotivated? What helps me with staying motivated are the social interactions and the support that comes from it, which has been minimal lately. Maybe we’re all at extremes, trying to come back towards the middle, and missing each other in the process. Or, maybe my circle of friends is such that I’m not part of the closest circle, and have to really assert myself or be willing to be by myself. Luckily, the air temperature has been cool enough that my apartment is comfortable without a fan on or extra windows open. I was happy enough to be doing my homework and I was able to take a dinner break out with a friend on Saturday. All good, right?

The other part I have noticed is that I don’t know what pictures I want in the frames on my wall. A few years ago, it was a no-brainer since there were several groups of friends who were special to me. Some people I saw regularly, others were from groups I used to see all the time, including classmates from high school. The classmate pictures were from interim reunion pictures. Those pages are now in an album. I’m not sure if the replacements will be people or scenes. Right now, I have blank frames.

On the flip side, Zumba is one class that I have been returning to lately at the gym. The instructor I like keeps us moving and plays more than the traditional Latin songs. There is usually one or two I can sing to because I have heard them on the radio, such as Cheap Thrills by Sia’. One of my favorites!

My Zumba instructor also talks about our energy helping to give her energy, and that sometimes you have to “Dance it out.” Dancing had been something else that I had not been motivated to do much until I was in Chicago. Shortly after that trip, I returned to Zumba and more dancing. I have loved dancing in that class and was super excited the first day back. Sometimes it is a challenge to keep up, yet I was able to the entire time, and have returned a couple of more times. What fun!

After being in my apartment for the majority of the weekend, I decided that I needed to get out once I finished my homework. Since it is a holiday, my choices were limited by what was open. Transportation was limited to walking or biking. I decided to bike ride, and I made it a challenge, too. Other than a hill that I chose to walk my bike up, I bicycled to a coffee shop more than 2.5 miles away. It’s pretty quiet, as expected. Still, it is a place to be interactive. Plus, I can treat myself to food and a tea. Changing perspectives always seems to be a good thing. Sometimes an inversion is a good choice. Tonight, the bike ride was a great choice!

Cheers,

Stacy

The Pink Hat and Running in the Rain

Somewhere between two and three years ago when a friend of mine was visiting, we went shopping. Specifically, I was looking for a winter hat because although useful, all I had were ear muffs. I wanted a hat, too. (and someday, I want to be able to knit or crochet my own, which is a different story). I am guessing that it was late in the season because there weren’t many choices. What is funny is that my friend was more into pink, yet I am the one who found the pink hat. Success! A fun shopping trip and we found at least that item on our trip. I hadn’t really thought much about it until lately.

Even a couple years later, I do like wearing the pink hat, as you may have seen in the photos in previous posts. Plus, not only does it get cold enough to wear it for about half the year in Michigan, once I am wearing a hat sometimes I leave it on when I am inside. The hat is comfortable and I don’t always have a chance to brush my hair (or it wouldn’t fix anything if I did), so I wear it.

At some point, the pink hat became how I was recognized. During a conference I attended over Halloween weekend last fall, I was at a morning meeting and wearing my pink hat. The person leading the meeting had forgotten her glasses and could not read all the name cards, including mine (I wrote too small for her). Since the organizers were tracking different conversations, the leader stated not to be offended if she found another way to refer to us. I became “pink hat.”

I walk or am outside quite a lot, which is a natural reason to wear a hat. One of my former housemates said she would see me all over the area and knew it was me because of the “pink hat.” Others have found me that way, too – on campus or a section of a store, for example. When it is my friends, that is cool. Or when I can be picked out in a photo because my hat stands out, that is cool, too (see this post). Beyond that, I always wonder if being that recognizable is like a neon (pink) sign stating “I want attention.” I really don’t. The hat is meant to have a functional use to keep my head and ears warmer. Yet, similar to writing these posts and knowing they go beyond the world of my Facebook friends, who I have at least met in person, I don’t know who is watching or reading. It sort of makes me want to find (or make) a new hat. Would those who are my friends be disappointed? Am I excluding them on that decision? Or is it just time to add to the collection?

Another function the pink hat has helped is with all the changes in weather. Last week there was a day where the temperature started a little bit warmer (upper 30’s) before going down during the day, and it was raining lightly. I’m prepared as far as anything in my backpack gets stored inside a water proof bag. Since the temperature was above freezing, I had worn a different jacket that does not have a hood. I did have a hoodie on underneath. I also had been able to wear my running shoes (and it was shortly after writing this post). When I had to walk home, it was pouring rain. On went the hat, with the hood on top, and I ran home, literally, in the rain. I figured I wouldn’t be quite as soaked that way. Since that day the weather has changed. The running shoes have been replaced, again, by boots. The heavier jacket returned, along with a different scarf and gloves. The one constant item? You probably guessed it – the pink hat.

Thanks for reading!

Stacy

Getting Rid of that Cold Feeling

My apartment space is very cozy. It is a studio, and although overstuffed with “stuff,” it is a spot where I can be very content. My apartment is also cheap. I don’t have air conditioning in the summer, and I cannot control the heat in the winter. I also cannot control how many times the front door and the basement door (outside, and where the laundry is) are opened. This particular week, it is a full house, literally. All my neighbors in the other two apartments are home and have been in and out, whether to go do laundry in the basement, or just out in general. A good life, right? The activity is also making my apartment stay colder from the draft – whether the front or the basement door. As of last night, all I wanted to do was be warm.

In the past few New Year’s Days, I have participated in the One One run. Last year, the local news photographer even included me in at least one of the photos in the story. Since I didn’t ask any of my friends and was not invited (note: I do not know who participated, either, cause I didn’t look), I decided not to worry about it and find another way to be warm. The run outdoors might not seem like it warms you up, yet it really does. It was not the answer I wanted.

I looked online last night cause what I really wanted to do was yoga. I could walk to the one on the mall. It turned out that there was a Heated Vinyassa class. Not only yoga – it would be in a heated room to start. I could get warm while doing yoga. It turned out to be a great class and I am so grateful it was available today! A couple of hours later, I have returned home and am not quite as cold.

Happy New Year!

Stacy

Upgrade

When I have felt blocked or stuck, what has worked for me is to let what is not working, sit, and find something that is fun and stress relieving. In my case, that usually means some combination of writing and/or a picture project. Tonight, I am doing both!

The frames on my wall in my current apartment have been blank, except for one, because I knew I wanted to upgrade my wall art, as mentioned in this post. A couple of weeks ago, I uploaded photos to have them ready for printing.  Although I printed more than what I would need for the three frames, I wanted to make sure that I had at least the preferred categories of pictures. The themes I decided to use were:

1. Book Club – I facilitated the Kalamazoo Business Book Club (KBBC) for 26 months, and read nearly a book a month for the club. During the second year, I started the Business Book Lady blog, and I also made sure to take more people pictures (eventually) instead of just pictures of the book. The discussions were always great and it really was as fun as it looks in the photos. We also found our final home at an awesome location in Downtown Kalamazoo – The Michigan News Agency. The owner, Dean, was as excited to have us as we were to be there. It was fun to see her and the others once a month (at least) on a Monday night.
2. 5k Runs -Running is something that I have slowly been developing during the last several years. It began when I realized that all it took was practice, which I wrote about here. When I enter races, most of the time I know friends who are participating, too. One of my friends, not pictured, came to several of the events to cheer and take pictures, including the picture where the ground looks frosted and I am wearing a pink jacket. It was more challenging for my friend to stay warm while waiting than it was for me running. The Color Run (2014) was meant as a fun event, although some did run as if it were being timed. I went all out and enjoyed the chance to be messy and colorful. The One One Run is a group favorite. Although it is not timed, since it takes place on January 1st (at 1pm), it is much warmer (and faster!) to try to run instead of walk. The picture of me in the crowd was in the local online news! Also, sometimes I see friends I don’t expect, such as at the Kalamazoo Klassic, and the friend finishes the race with me. At the Borgess Run, one of my friends did not want to leave the grounds until we had the chance to meet up. She had participated in the 10k and I was in the 5k run.
3. Startup Grind – I had thought about including a frame of startup events and decided since that had an entire book, the wall frame only needed Startup Grind, including the Kalamazoo chapter. The story had changed since creating the “Startup World” album, as far as this topic. I was part of the community until August 2014, when I became a part of the team. It is definitely different to plan and promote an event versus only attending, and I have been lucky enough to experience both sides. The top two pictures and the bottom right corner are all from the same January 2014 event where the night could have been endless. (Yes, the mingling was THAT much fun, besides the fireside chat that night.) The rest are team photographs. The group shot is when I was in California and had the opportunity to visit the Palo Alto headquarters. Since I already had contact with several of the team, it was natural to meet them in person. The day before, I had been able to hike with a mentor I had met through Startup Grind. The other three pictures all have to do with the Kalamazoo team. The Chapter Director is sitting with me and the banner. For a short while there were three of us, and we gathered for a meeting at a coffee shop, which I wrote about here. The picture of me with my bicycle was to celebrate being added to the team, AND be in at least one picture, since as a photographer I was not in any others.

Mostly, the idea is that when I look at the pictures, they make me happy. I might change out the fourth one because it is about my Dad, which makes it a little bit sad. The page had originally been a part of a different display, which I didn’t keep. Since I  still wanted to preserve the page and have it out, I fit it to the 12 x 12 frame. The other three, though, are current and make me smile when I look at them and think about the different stories. Working on the pages has made it a productive, fun night, and has definitely been a stress reliever. What is your method to break out of a cycle of being stuck?

 

Thanks for reading! (and commenting/liking)

Stacy

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Although titled the same, this post does not have anything to do with the popular book written by Shel Silverstein. Instead, it is about the actual sidewalks of the area. Or, rather, where they are supposed to be.

If you live in the Midwest part of the United States then you already are aware of how much snow there was to deal with during this winter. The fact that there were two snow days (in a row) at the university that is usually the last to close states quite a bit. What I want to know, though, is there really an excuse to not clear the sidewalks?

The picture above was taken in the past couple of days. It hasn’t snowed that much in March, so it would have been a great chance to finish clearing any sidewalks that any place in the area was behind for shoveling. Yet, I walked through more snowy paths than I can even say. Some, I couldn’t even tell where the sidewalk was supposed to be and had to walk in the street. I’ve been noticing many pedestrians using the streets, too, because the sidewalk doesn’t exist! Drivers in the area complained when the roads were hard to get through. Great! Once those were done, why weren’t the sidewalks finished, too? Who is responsible? I can’t quite figure that out. I know it can be tough, too. I lived on a corner lot with a long driveway for three winters. The pedestrians and the postal carriers deserve to have a path to walk! It may have been tough to do, and I was glad when neighbors helped. Bottom line was that I did it.

And then there are the bus stops. Do you see the mountain to stand on around the sign? Considering that many who use the bus system may be using a cane, using a walker, in a wheel chair, blind, or bringing young children, why is a site like this the norm more than the exception? This picture was also taken in the last couple of days when the temperature was up into the 40’s. It might look like a sidewalk exists. Actually, it was a muddy lake. I had no choice about wearing boots because even though the streets were clear, the rest was a sloppy mess.

What are other areas like? What can we do to bring attention to the public and fix this before someone dies from using the street as a pedestrian and gets hit by a car? What are your thoughts and experiences?

Thanks for reading! (and commenting/liking)

Stacy

The First Day

Window View

Whether you are in the Midwest or not, if it looks cold outside in this picture, you would be correct. It snowed most of the day and the high was in the teens. The windchill made it feel below zero at times. This didn’t stop people from participating in Kalamazoo’s 31st annual One One Run, though.

Starting line

Several of my friends and I joined the crowd of people who decided to brave the weather and move by walking or running in the annual event. Participants have a choice of running or walking, and going around the course once for 2.2 miles, or twice for 4.4. The first time  I tried this, in 2012, I walked. This time, I wanted to run. It is much warmer! Plus, the runners start first, and although I have run the distance of one lap before, I ended up switching off between running and walking. The course was snowy and the wind whipped pretty good at one point off the lake.

Cheryl and Stacy

One of the greatest challenges with this weather is figuring out how to layer well. When I saw a friend there and asked to take a picture, I had to debate whether or not to remove any of those layers. Cheryl commented that we get to see faces. We were in a tent at this moment, and decided that it was not worth less layers for a picture. The range of layers and outfits was interesting to see, including some people wearing shorts. I kept pretty warm other than my nose. It probably took 10 minutes before I felt comfortable overall, and by the end, I was definitely at a good temperature and ready for the treats in the tent!

We did it!

Five of us arrived together. Three chose to walk and Dave, the male of the group, ran two course laps. This was the third time Dave and Margaret (in front with glasses) participated. I was with them in 2012, too. Despite the weather and some of the doubts, we all had fun and enjoyed going. It is an untimed race and we are all listed as #1. Plus, as I heard someone on the course say, “You are first place in your name category.”

What are you doing to get moving in 2014?

Thanks for reading! (and commenting/liking)

Senior Moments

This semester, I feel like I have gone back in time, at least partially, and I think about that whenever I take the bus to campus. I am more like a current Freshman, walking around from bus stop to buildings, then any comparison to having been a graduate student through last April. I don’t even feel much like a Senior, which is my technical status. It mostly feels like I have begun again. In one way, I have. Since previous experiences do count, I’ll call it  a transition chapter, and probably the most challenging to date as a student.

What I find even more interesting is that there are several parallels to what was happening in my life five years ago. First, I moved in October that year and had a stack of items which had fit into a house that were now sitting in a one bedroom apartment. It took awhile before I could find much of anything. Right now, I am packing and getting ready to move. It is from house to house, at least. The thing that is the same is the chaos and keeping what I need most away from what could easily get buried or lost.

In the chaos that I called my apartment five years ago, I had to find enough items where I could put together a portfolio for a Michigan Jaycees competition. I wasn’t sleeping well, mostly because I moved after filing for divorce. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing for the competition, either. What helped was that Neil, the President of the Kalamazoo Jaycees at the time, basically talked me through things. I had to turn the portfolio binder in earlier than the actual travel to the convention. Whatever the deadline was to get it to him, I probably made it just in time.

These days, besides school and getting ready to move, I am also busy with figuring out if my business idea is only that, or if it can go anywhere. As written in Checkpoint, I am moving along yet not too far down. It seems that in practice, I have become an entrepreneur, much in the same way I became a runner. I knew I was a runner when I wanted to, and actually did, run more than walk. How does that work for becoming an entrepreneur? I’m learning, stressed, sometimes happy, tired, and not sure at all if this is what is right. One of my friends said I have probably “hit the wall,” as marathon runners do. I’m also experiencing within a couple of months what he has felt for the last 12 years, Does that make it official?

Hopefully, the music and words will match well and whether the first or umpteenth time, it is heading in the correct direction and will not be so rocky.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading (and commenting/liking)!

The Rainbow Connection

A couple of weeks ago on a Monday morning I was taking out my garbage can to the curb and happened to look up and see the rainbow pictured above. My aunt commented that it was not only rare to see a full rainbow, but also that it was against a blue sky. It didn’t last long, either, cause I went inside to get my recyclables and by the time I returned the sky had turned overcast. Even with the sunshine earlier, though, it had been sprinkling. My aunt’s final comment was that it must be my lucky day and maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.

Well, the story does not end with me as a big ticket winner, or even playing anything. I find that I look at luck much differently. The fact that serendipity is a part of it does not seem a coincidence to me. What this leads to is a reflection – with a conclusion that I am glad I live the life that I do. Even more so, I am grateful for the relationships I have built, especially during the last six years. This is what I think abut daily, and it helps validate that I’m on the right path, wherever it leads.

Yes, all of this from seeing a rainbow. It’s the best pot of gold I ever want. How would you see the rainbow?

Thanks for reading (and commenting/liking)!