Copy that!

Which would be my sense of humor

I have told (and been told) that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  All my girls have had times in their life when someone was "copying" off of them.  I would instantly bring out this remedial saying, which we all know brings no comfort at the time of imitation.

Yet, as I look back (on all things copied and copied) I have to believe that this saying is true.  I have to believe that things I have picked up from other people have helped shape the me I am.  We are all so many pieces before we equal a "whole".  That is not to say that every habit or trait I have picked up has been the best for me.  But in total, it is who I am.

One of the worst habits I picked up was smoking.  I discovered this vice late in life (so to speak) as I was already well into my twenties.  I can still remember my dad's final days as he lost the battle to lung cancer (brought on by 45 years of heavy smoking).   A smoke break was needed after every visit.  It has now been 20 years this November since I finally smoked for the last time.  There were many false starts that lasted a year or more at a time but I wasn't ready to let that habit go until then.

I can also be guilty of picking up mannerisms and speech habits of others if I am with them for extended periods of time.  This is done subconsciously and might even lend the appearance of me making fun of someone.  I constantly have to "check myself" to ensure I am not going down that road (of copying or making fun).  It's a slippery slope.

And to that I would add,  I notice when people copy off of me.  The older I get the more I tend to believe it is flattering rather than offensive.  Sure, there could be some humor instilled in the imitation and I am okay with that.  I have been using humor all my life (again, sometimes not as appropriately as I should.....another "habit").

After years of being in the trucking business, my husband often answers the affirmative by saying "10-4".  Over the years I have added the particular phrase to my vocabulary, along with "copy that".  It's a language we all understand.  I didn't notice it as much in the past but now I have a host of people that work with me that respond "10-4" to my requests.  It makes me smile every time.

There is an entire "numbers" language that at times I feel compelled to learn, but don't want to be so intentional.  So for now, I will leave it at a "big 10-4" (also used at times to emphasize) and move on down the road.

Until next time,
#whatsyour20?

your pal,

Kari

Miles to go before I sleep

Will clear 100 miles today.

October has always been a busy month for me and mine.  Just about everyone I know was born in October (or so it seems when I buy birthday cards).  We have Halloween to look forward to and the promise of fall is in the air.  For clarity - in Texas that is all we have gotten....the promise.

This month at work we have kicked off a wellness and safety campaign that I have fully embraced.  And those who know me, understand I can take a bulldog approach to anything I have deemed worthy.

So together our group is walking the "million mile month".  What does that mean to me?  And those who have the (mis)fortune of being my friends/family?  It means 3+ miles of fast walking and minimal talking during our lunch hour.  If eating is a necessity - multi-task and get it done on working hours.

Obviously, as I discussed last week, trails have become a way of life for Terry and I.  Plus don't forget the "couples" 1.5-2 mile walk every evening.

My game is full....on.  Whereas I used to be content with 10,000 steps and around 3 miles daily, my minimum now is 5 miles and since I decided on 5, I have felt the need to go 6.  Such a numbers game.

Taking it one step further is our "couples" eating habits.  We are focused on portion control, mucho veggies and sadly, no alcohol for the month of October.  I did have a friend point out to me today that this last step was probably still necessary based on "cruise" reports.  Sigh.

The other day, a lady at work very seriously said to me "When you come back from your walks, your face is all red and I just don't think that is healthy.  You will probably start losing weight" to which I responded "Say it will be so".  She ended with the comment (followed by a laugh) "your husband will have to shake out the bed sheets to find you!"  That may be my new favorite saying.

So - if you are adverse to any of what I mentioned above, it's probably best we don't see each other in October.  I can (and will) turn any meeting into a "walk and talk".  I have been known to get up during staff meetings to "go down the hall".  Translation - my Karibit just notified me I needed xx amount of steps to meet my 250 steps per hour goal.  The clock is always ticking.

Just so you know, the outlook for November could be grim.

Until next time,
#gottowalk

Your pal,
Kari

 

Happy trails!

#avidhiker

Terry and I have taken our relationship to the next level.  Considering we have been married almost 20 years, one might say we have eased into it.  Yes, we have added communal exercise to the mix. We did have one false start a couple of years ago, when we were both in the same boot camp.  Once I returned to work, I had to let go of the early morning workouts.  Now, however, we are hitting the trails on Saturday and Sunday, exploring Texas and logging in the miles.

This is a match made in heaven for me.  Everyone already knows about my compulsive obsession with Fitbit (I may have mentioned before - I call mine Karibit) and counting.  This takes it to the next level.  No longer will I have to be content by circling the neighborhood for 45 minutes to reach three miles...now I can explore the great outdoors, (with my partner in crime) and the time flies by.

Did I mention I felt the need to upgrade my existing Karibit to a Charge 2?  This little beauty tells me everything I need to know from a fitness (and counting) perspective.  Out with the old and in with the new is what I say!

Friend Jessica turned me on to the ALLTRAILS app which shows me any trail near me (93 when I look from home) that are ripe for exploring.  Jessica and her family are no stranger to the trails.  They have been hitting them hard for quite some time.  The trails are ranked as hard, moderate (also can be difficult) and easy.  I can now attest that "hard" does indeed mean hard.  I made the executive decision (after our first go at the hard trail) that we can only survive one of those per weekend.

Deep in the wilderness

We also look the part of official hikers now.  With appropriate footwear and water bottles, Terry is also wearing the backpack with all essentials.  Specifically, bug spray, neosporin, kleenex, extra water, hairbrush and Terry's epi pen (let's hope we never have to use that).

Another bonus - my Fitbit stats on the leader board have risen significantly.  Not that this is a contest with my fellow fitbit friends (specifically no contest with my mate as he is not tracking using Fitbit) however, isn't life a contest? And just as an aside, I have been in first place for a number of days now.



Finally, my compulsion with the counting seems to be rubbing off on mi espouso.  Just Saturday when his Apple watch did not track the full 4 miles that I received credit for, as I was cooling down in the car, he could be seen walking up and down the sidewalk, dead set on hitting 4 miles before we left the trail.

Again, a match made in heaven.

Until next time -
#hittheroadjack

your pal,
Kari

Can I help you?

If my eyes are still open, I am still helping

I love to help (with the exception of moving, packing or unpacking households, baiting fishing hooks....this list is not all inclusive).  However, given any other situation.... I enjoy participating, interacting and cheering.

As hard as it is to believe, there are some instances where my help might not always be appreciated.  That is the bad news.  The good news is I am starting to recognize "some" of those instances.

One of the toughest assignments I have been working on giving up is being "co-pilot".  As an expert driver, I know how hard it is to hear the gasps, grabbing hold of the seat or door, sometimes accompanied by helpful hints about traffic conditions.  And still...

I have latched on to a new remedy.  Now I bring my knitting to the car with me on longer drives. I am so involved with my latest project, I forget to look up.  Because when I look up, I am not enjoying the scenery,  I am scanning the horizon for potential roadblocks (literally and figuratively).  It is (was) my job.  The benefits of this is marital happiness.  Seems like a small price to pay.

Another work in progress is my listening skills.  I have always been an empathetic listener, but sometimes I go into the "fix it" mode and share how the particular situation could be solved.  It never ceases to amaze me (that given my versatile life experiences)  I don't always have the right answers to EVERYTHING. I am Not.  Always. Helpful.

The good news is I am a continual work in progress.  While you may only know about my bi-lingual pursuit of talents and the musical interest that has been revived, I READ EVERYTHING.  Some of it's just junk, but much of it can be good advice for managing daily life.  If you know me, you also know it has never been good enough (for me) to just get by.  I need to excel,  And while I may never be excellent in all I attempt, I will never stop trying.

Another blessing and a curse.  It is hard to feel satisfied with myself when I am "striving".  Striving to speak Spanish, play the piano better, be a good wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend.....the list goes on and on (and is not listed in any type of priority)!

So here is what I acknowledge for now.  I will never be perfect.  This will be true in everything I do. This is not an excuse to quit trying but more a recognition that sometimes keeping on trying is good enough.  More than good enough!

Until next time,
#adios

tu amigo,
Kari

Life is a process....

Lately I have found myself in many discussions involving the "process".  It is amazing what fresh eyes will bring to a review.

This past week a group of us were talking about a business process, and what we ask for ....and why?  In this specific line of work, the rules governing what we CAN ask for are broad.  Basically, we can ask for anything, at any time from any one.  This all sounds well and good but the complaints I heard were that some of the information requested was not being provided.  My next question really helped us zero in on what is important.

I asked, "what are the consequences?"  Herein lies the problem.  There were no consequences.  We could ask for anything all day long but without consequences, the "ask" really was meaningless.

Choices can be fun!

We then started down the path of discussing what we REALLY need to make a decision, realizing the lack of consequences.  Thus began a new process that was less cumbersome, less frustrating and would allow us to still do the job effectively.

This leads me to think about authority and the right thing.  Many times in my almost six decades of living, I have heard conversations begin or end with  "it's my right" or "I am not breaking any rules".  You get it, words to that affect.  But just because we "can" doesn't always mean we "should".  Or that it's even right.

Life is a process.  We are not the same person we were ten years ago or maybe even last week.  A process should be ever evolving.  Not necessarily looking for short cuts, but evaluating why we do what we do and are we happy with the outcome.

Because it is all about choices.  Where we are in our life is determined by the choices we have made. Not all of our choices have been good ones, but the beauty of a process is that it can be changed. Once we take ownership of  our choices, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.  When you say yes to one thing, are you saying no to something else?

When I was a Manager of Contracts (at the beginning of my career), I had a frank conversation with another female about my standing in the company.  She bluntly told me I had reached my "peak" due to lack of a college degree.  That was hard for me to hear, but I pondered those words.  I recognized I did not have a college degree based on choices I had made.  I then took her words to heart and decided to go back to school.  It took seven years to get my four year degree done.  (Another outcome of the same choices). Time is more difficult to allocate after you factor in working full-time and raising a family.  After a year off, I went back to school AGAIN, and this time completed my Masters Program in 2 years.

This is what I know.  Because of THOSE choices I made, a whole different level of opportunities became available to me.   It's never too late and every day is a new day to make new choices.

Until next time,
#reviewyourlifeprocess

Your pal,
Kari

Play it again

Fall is my favorite time of year.  Even though it is contrary to the notion of winding things down, I always liken Fall to new things.  For example, school starts in the fall which equals new clothes, experiences and opportunities.  At least this is how I remember it.

Hola!

While I have been out of school for 11 years (most recently), this is the year that I am working on accomplishing things I generally just think about.  As I have already mentioned, Rosetta Stone Espanol is happening at my house and I have made it to Unit 2, Chapter 2 (there are 22 units with multiple chapters in all of them).  At this rate, this may be a multi-year effort.  And mainly because I am expecting perfect scores (or pretty darn close) for each chapter.  This has meant that some of them I have repeated a time or two (specifically pronunciation chapters) so that I can achieve a final score I can live with.

What else?  Okay, last week I started a Bible Study at my church.  This particular group meets at 4:00 pm and since I am right down the road, I hustle on over.  This is a small group (maybe 8-10 people regularly) but that isn't what I like best about it.  The best thing to me is that I AM THE YOUNGEST!!!  There are not very many opportunities for me to say this about anything I might participate in.  Most the time, I am on the other end of that spectrum.  So I am really looking forward to this week.

Candid evening shot

Is that all?  Well, no, as a matter of fact...this past Monday was my "first" piano lesson.  I say "first" in that I have not received any formal instruction for approximately 40 years.  When I was just a girl (and not in the Bible Study sense) I took lessons for 4-5 years and really enjoyed it.  I continue to be able to read music and from time to time, I attempt to play the piano we have at home.  Madi has been taking piano lessons for about 12 years and since she just left for college, I took the opportunity of an opening with her piano teacher and, well, as they say, the rest is history.  I have homework to work on before the next lesson which is fine because we all know I love structure.  I will let you know when I am available to play at venues.

I am still trying to work out somewhat regularly; knit on the three projects I currently have in process and read daily.   With new fall TV releasing this week, I am really going to have to focus on my schedule to get everything I want done!  Oh yea, and I have to work Monday through Friday.  Sigh,

This is what my day/evenings look like at a glance.  Alarm rings at 4:40 am - get up and work out or hit snooze until 5:40 and work out immediately following work (see, I allow for some flexibility).  Working hours are typically 7-4.  At five it's time to work out and start dinner or just start dinner (see above).  Immediately following dinner, I have my evening news date with Mom (45-60 minutes). While we are watching the news, I knit.  Immediately following the news, it is time for piano practic

e, followed by Rosetta Stone.  After Rosetta Stone, it is either time for a TV show or reading. We DVR all our shows which is a real benefit to scheduling.  I am no slave to the TV schedule.  Extracurricular activities (bible study and piano) are on Monday and Wednesday so that just pushes my other things back.  I might add that my mom is no slave to the TV schedule either.  She DVR's the news, so that we can watch at our leisure.

Fortunately, work has not interfered too much with all the things I am trying to get accomplished.   In fact, during a brown bag lunch earlier this week (did I mention I started a book club and knitting club at work?) we were all talking about what our evenings look like.  After I ran through my schedule, one of the ladies said "I go home, take off my bra and have a glass of wine"!  Apparently I am not the only one who has a plan for the evenings.

Like I said, I love Fall.

Until next time,
#itsallinaday

your pal,
Kari

Dateline-Sunday

What happened Sunday afternoon could have been the opening scene for one of my favorite shows, Dateline.

Says it all....

Madison and I had just come back to the house after finishing errands.  It was time to take her over to Robert's so they could head back to school.  She ran upstairs to grab a few things while I waited in the kitchen.

First, I heard blood-curdling screams accompanied by stomping and running.  I froze in place.  Almost immediately, I heard Madi begin screaming.  Before I could react, Madison screamed, "Mom, he's coming for you."

And he did.

This wild man burst into the kitchen.  He had the crazy eyes going and was coming for me.  I positioned myself on the other side of the island and we began running - him trying to catch me and me trying to get away.  I thought about running out of the house, but I couldn't leave my baby.  This went on for a few minutes before he leaped up on the island and lunged at me.

Yes, football season has begun with a hard fought victory by the Chiefs.  A
re you ready for some football?

It always starts out calm...

Terry subscribes to the theory that the game is interactive.  We have asked him to watch/listen to any Chiefs games upstairs as he does his level best to help officiate from the couch.  Not only does he officiate, he also assists in coaching.

Early on, Madi and I would use Sunday afternoons for errands, movies or just about anything to get us out of the house.  Before we would return, we would check for an update (via radio) to determine the status of the home-front.  When the news was good, we would just allow for a "cooling off" period before re-entering the house.  When the news was bad..... well, some say silence is golden.

If we had the misfortune of being at home during a game, we tried to make the best of it.  Usually this involved Madison sneaking upstairs to video any particularly moving performance given by Mr. French during the game.  We would then message it to other family members/friends for their enjoyment.  #priceless

On the bright side, there are only three teams Terry invests this much energy into (Yes, college football is another opportunity).  On the not-so-bright side, football has just begun, meaning that I will be "enjoying" this sport with him....without my early warning system (Madison).

Until next time,
#touchdown
#Kansas City

your pal,

Kari