Game Changers

Things they are a changing. Or I'm finding cool new (old) stuff that is awesome. 

Pickybars.

WHAT! These are amazeballs… And I am not just saying that because my old high school teammate Anna, works for them now. Or that their sweatshirt is one of the comfiest I own, or that I now have a pint glass from them. WHAT WHATTTTT!

DELICIOUS. They don’t sit in my stomach like a rock, so for those early morning runs (which admittedly, it has been a lil’ bit) they are nice quick go-to before the workout. A cool review is in the works. Just saying, be on the lookout home-skillets. 

Oiselle.

Holy crap, female runner friends. Screw it. ANY OF MY FEMALE FRIENDS WHO LIKE NICE THINGS. Which, is every one of you. Share with you wives, girlfriends, family members, males. This is on you.

Quality materials, comfortable, non-chafing, stylish. Right now, I have mainly worn my clothes for fashion related events, or daily wear. (I snorted when I said “fashion related.” I mean really??? Me??) But I love it. It completes my outfit, and who does not like my new bird/feather print obsession. Look out world. And what they have done for not only women's running and athletics, but our running world in general, truly astounding. Attention is drawn and we are on the forefront of some amazing stuff. Cannot wait. Reviews to follow. :)

Reading.

A classic and old stand-by. But I have found a new passion for it since I have seen my writing improve. You may not notice, but word-choice has now been a more thought provoking act as I sit down and muster out some semblance of words that mya or may not make sense to the great masses that flock to my blog I am sure. J Oh happy day! See what I did there?

My new friends.  And old ones too. Just my friends in general.

Well by now they are no longer new. Recently a discussion was had how weare no longer in the “Honeymoon Period” and are now able to act as if we have been around each other for years. But are still constantly learning and growing from one another, gaining new knowledge of one another everyday.

conner joseph took this picture!

And people who are willing to wake up at five in the morning to run. Not even wake up at five, actually RUN at five. They are my friends. I am SO LUCKY to have them.

And everyone I was able to reconnect with this short vacation home. I wish there was more time. Or two of me.

Yoga.

Again another stand-by, but I have decided to become more active and committed to it. In past years I noticed an improvement in my lifestyle and in my running when I was regularly practicing. So bring it on twentyfourteen.

My newly founded because really I had to gluten free lifestyle, while moving more vegan too.

Yup. Gluten makes my tummy hurt. And it doesn’t make others around me very happy when I am grumpy and bloaty. Nope. Not really. I get flu-like symptoms and achey bones. And even this Christmas couldn’t eat dinner because I had “poisoned” myself earlier in the week from eating some gluten.  I MISSED CHRISTMAS DINNER GUYS! GAH!

But I feel better when I am not eating it. So that’s good. And I like vegetables. But I really like cheese, so that’s what is holding me back. Maybe one day. And then that turns into one day a week. And from there is a Vegan-ado.

Goals.

When I first moved to Spokane, I had a lot of goals and aspirations. And then after my first year, I kind of let them all slip aside. And now, new, refreshed and ready to tackle anything, I wrote them out. And I have to look at them daily. So here we go.

What’s your plan for the year?

Goals 12.28

We are nearing the end of the year now. And I haven’t been very diligent with this blog as of late.

I’m going to be honest with you; I hit a period of time that I just didn’t really want to write. Not that anything wasn’t inspiring me; I just didn’t really want to read whatever came out of my fingertips. The words were melodramatic, sad, melancholy, and any other synonym from the Thesaurus found on this word processor.

I became lazy and complacent. I found other things to fill my time, including losing hours on Pinterest and researching the perfect Christmas gift for my family and friends.

Life got in the way too, having to spend the majority of the day once explain to a nurse that my family just naturally has low blood pressure and it was ok to stand up. Don’t worry everyone involved is ok.

I’ll have to go through and get a couple recaps of my time spent in my hometown over Christmas, share stories of my young cousins (nieces and nephews as I call them), but for right now I want to jump into the present moment and realize, we have some goals to write.

And when I say we, I am hoping the 7 of you that actually read this (which is probably less now, because I lost some readership with my hiatus) will join me in writing a few goals for the upcoming year.

Yes, it is a time where the word resolution is thrown around and we all resolve to better ourselves and choose to workout everyday, eat healthier, but really how long does that normally last?

My cousin said a funny word the other day: revolution. Out of his young five-year-old mouth slipped revolution. We all knew he meant resolution, but that was his word.

When I look at resolutions, I see an unhappiness with myself, why can I not just be content and happy, but maybe want to strive for something more? Instead of staying stagnant in one place, I will revolutionize my life, and find new things I enjoy. Rediscover old. I don’t want to change, because for once in a very long time, I kinda like me again. I am always striving for more, but I am happy again. But maybe in that journey for more, is where we become dissatisfied.

So goals. I will have goals, for each month, each week, and the whole year. Anything from, make two vegan meals a week, to complete a headstand by March, to complete my first novel by this time next year. It is going to be quite a list! But if I see them as goals, I can have benchmarks and stepping-stones along the way. Maybe I will post the list, or keep it to myself and share some at some times. Who knows!

Now, will you help me? Write some with me? Keep me accountable? Join me in this endeavor.

Happy Holidays, friends. 

Twenty Six.

26 things I’ve learned in my short 26 years.

I wish for things at 11:11. It was when I was born. I pretended at one time that someone wished for me, and that is why I was born there.

Random I know, but it’s what I thought. And sometimes I still think of that.

So, although it is only 26 years, I have learned a lot. Here’s 26 things I’ve learned over the last 26 years (ok maybe not all 26 because I can’t remember all of them):

26. Writing 26 things is difficult. But worth it. It keeps me focused and in the moment. Understanding my own life a little better. Thanks for letting me share. 

25. Find a book you can read over and over and over again. It’s the one you carry in your bag when you have a moment to spare. I have a stack of them still, and I will always pull one out, sometimes just flipping to my favorite part. It’s your go-to book.

24. Smile. Everyday. No matter what. It changes not only your world, but others and that’s what matters most.

23. Travel. Whether it is to the next state, or another country, get out and see some of this beautiful world.

22. Pay it Forward. Even if nothing has been done for you, start a trend. Pay for someone’s drink in line behind you, help someone carry their groceries to their car, compliment someone. Take the time to do things for others. You will never regret it.

21. Pick your signature drink in coffee, alcohol, anything. Pick it. And know it is ok to change too.

20. Be a continual learner. One thing I learned from my Grandpa was to constantly seek knowledge and education. It can come in so many forms. Learn yourself: to change your tire, your oil, jumpstart your car, to cook a gourmet meal, the perfect golf swing, why the Roman Empire was the way it was. History, Math, English, Science, World knowledge, it is so powerful and astounding. Keep learning, it is ever-changing.

19. Sit in bed and watch the season of your show. It is lazy and sometimes awful, just don’t do it all the time. But know you aren’t going to die if you put some things off. Only if you put it off forever will it come back to bite you.

18. Keep your most precious possession from when you were little. I still have the baby blanket my Grandpa made me. And the stuffed bear my mom gave me. I have them on my reading chair. Constant reminders of the love I have in my life. And to stay a little youthful.

17. Buy the coloring book. And the biggest pack of crayons you can afford, and sit down and color. Color when you are stressed. Color when you are happy. COLOR. Even when you are 26. Try it for a procrastination habit as well.

16. Be happy knowing you are enough in this moment.

15. Be outside as much as you can!

14. Know it is ok to do things on your own. It is encouraged. Go to the movies, to dinner, camping. Try it out. It isn’t as scary as you may think.

13. Be quiet for an entire day. Turn off your phone, your computer, your iPad, your brain. And just be within yourself for a little while. Get things done in the quiet solitude you create.

12. Eat the chocolate. Drink the milkshake. Eat the hamburger.

11. Eat the fruit. Eat the veggies. Eat the salad.

10. Treat yo’ self. Thankfully Tom and Donna taught me that. 

9.  Wear the goofy outfit. And dance the dance. Always dance. And laugh, definitely laugh. 

8. Take pictures. Write things down. But more importantly, CREATE THE MEMORY.

7. Don’t limit yourself, especially when it comes to your friends. Have friends who are age 7 and friends who are 70, and everything between before and after. Everyone teaches you something. The 7 year old can teach you how to share, and the 70 year old can teach you how to laugh.

6. Stand for something. Anything. Even when you stand alone, you’re standing.

5. Read as many books as you can. Borrow them from friends, from the library, dig in the bookshelf. Reread them as many times as you want, because each time is new and different and fun.

4. Know that heartbreak is not the end of the world. There is always something beautiful to cast your eyes upon, as long as you keep your head up. And while your heart may always have cracks, just know it means you are alive.

3. Be open to things. You can stick by your values, morals, ethics, and beliefs truly. But know there are so many things to know, learn , experience.

2. Trust and believe in yourself. You’re the only real constant at times. So be there for yourself.

1. Love without abandon: fiercely, loyally, unapologetically. No matter who or what it is. 

Writer Wednesday 12.4

A recent prompt we had in writing club, a second draft of a last minute story. Based on the idea of creating a story around a singular moment in time (i.e. a bullet to the brain, a wink, etc...)

The old man looked down and into his lap. Stains were growing and fading on his pressed grey trousers. The seam lay stiff running down his leg, pleated to perfection, his mom had always said.

His hands were worn, battered and torn from years of work, laying in his lap. Long ago he had split his hand on an old car engine, letting the blood drip down until he got the part exactly where he needed it to be. And he hadn’t cried then. Scarred now, that hand filled with the moisture of his pain. As he sat there, the tears just couldn’t stop. A part of him didn’t want them to either. This blink in time, his granddaughter’s hand held his and tightened as a single tear fell off his chin and through the air. It glistened in the sunlight that bounced from the windows of that church. That tear fell tumultuously towards that crease.

It slipped down his face so quickly, he thought no one would know any better. His tired, wrinkled eyes were lowered and away from everyone else’s. One sole blink caused those gates to open. The room was still, no one was moving, no one spoke except his eldest son.

Mike was reminiscing about the times they had had as children in the backseat of that old Chevy. How they drove miles and miles to find the perfect camping spots, the three of them and Dad. Mom always stayed home. She didn’t like the camping stuff. Let’s face it, neither did Cinda. She was the middle child and only girl of the bunch. Many times she had fought with the boys, always winning on wit. She and Bill would spend summers in the car driving up and down the coast visiting family.

He squeezed back to his granddaughter. He had a special place in his heart for she and for Cinda, his only daughter. Her blond locks had shimmered in the sun that first summer in the new house. The one he had built for his family. Her picture still hangs above the fireplace, shining in the light radiating through the front room windows. Holding a smaller version in his hands, he tried not to crumple it as the noises in the church rose and fell as Mike finished his speech.

As the aisles filled and emptied, the old man stayed, his granddaughter’s hand still clasping his. They sat and waited until they were all alone. He didn’t look up, seeing a similar stain on his granddaughter’s dress. They were too similar.

Staying there, the tear tumbled again, floating swiftly through the sunlight. Falling down through the gleams of the windows. Creating a rainbow with angles and curves, it landed in a small rounded blemish on his creased grey pants.  Over time it faded, but it’s still there. Always on his mind, like a scar leaving a memory. 

Rough Draft.

Sometimes I write stories and sometimes I write memories. Here is a little bit of both I wrote with cold and frozen fingers just this morning. 

Happy December. Wear layers. 

We drove through the quiet, darkened streets that night, slowing in front of the brighter lit houses with colors of reds, greens, blues flashing and blinking into the night. The snow was piled up away from the roads and the sidewalks were clear. They were beautiful pieces of art and the work, delicate and deliberate, was thoughtfully shown. You parked the car at the top of the hill by the conservatory. The gardens were covered and hidden for the winter, but looking out into the night, the moon lit the snow-covered fountains in an eerie, peaceful glow. You reached across and took my hand, leaning in whispering for me to wait, your lips brushed my cheek gently and I couldn’t help but smile.

Getting out of the car, you raced around the back. I giggled and you opened my door, “Did you see me almost eat it back there?”

Grabbing my right hand you lead me out of the car and into your arms. You held me close and there was no way we could be cold. Probably never ever.

It had been a long week. We had fought and we had learned, and gotten so confused and altered. I hadn’t wanted anything, but you had wanted everything. And we didn’t know where to begin. But here, this night we let it go and we watched the lights and the flowers like you had done for many years before. This was my first time. We stayed apart, but I felt your hand reach for mine amongst the crowds. From behind me, I could feel your eyes watching, making sure I was happy.

It is all we really ever needed, the other to be happy. We wanted it s badly, we sometimes forgot to actually be happy.

Through the people we walked and viewed and laughed. I reached out and touched the rose, so delicate and perfect. It’s red colors floating through and deep in love it meant.

Walking out to the car, I began to hum my favorite Christmas song, and you begged me to sing it. Blushing and laughing, I slowly did until I realized you hadn’t started the car. You just sat there watching me sing. My voice shaky at first, until the joy of the season and beauty of the night rose through. Closing my eyes and growing in song, I fell in love all over again. Like that first night we left each other in my car singing those songs and not knowing what was coming next.

You leaned again, to my cheek and kissed me softly. I turned and caught your lip before you could move away.

“I don’t ever want to lose this.”

I didn’t mean the moment I meant what we had. The beauty of the day, the glory of the night, the laughing until we couldn’t, and then laughing some more. The nights we spent on that hill running and racing, chasing and living.

We drove along through the night again, your hand clasping mine, and holding tighter still. You parked the car again and we walked the streets. We watched the lights and strolled through the dark. You carried me through and we held each other close.