Humans. The only living, breathing creature on the planet that uses words.
Is there anything more powerful than words? Sure, there are weapons of many kind, but words can be wielded by anyone. Weapons may cause some to cower in fear, but words can inspire the masses to rise together. Some may use them with the dancing grace of a swordsman, others with the brutish force of a club. Words can bring comfort, peace and hope, or they can bring pain, hate and anger.
Some say "actions are louder than words." However, what about when the distance is such that actions are not visible? When the very expression of words becomes the action?
Writing is a beautiful form of words. With writing we can take time to accurately express our thoughts. Things we may find difficult to express orally. In writing, we can tell of fantasies, dreams and desires. In writing, our words can be enjoyed again and again.
Words truly are powerful; even more so when they are expressed openly, honestly and thoughtfully.
"I am but a reader, give me your words, that I would know the expressions of your heart."
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Movin' Onward and Upward
Race one is in the books! Woot.
I bested my normal five mile run time and finished 35/59 in my division. On race day it rained. A drizzly soaking warmish rain. A little miserable by the end honestly.
I learned a few things:
Progress...one step at a time.
I bested my normal five mile run time and finished 35/59 in my division. On race day it rained. A drizzly soaking warmish rain. A little miserable by the end honestly.
I learned a few things:
- hydrate better. I lost at least five minutes on my time standing at the port-a-potty at mile one because I chugged a bottle of water an hour before the race.
- train better to find my happy pace. I played leap frog with several other racers. Very tortoise and hare type stuff. My natural running stride is long. So, I'd run, pass people, get out of breath and slow down. Then said people with their short jog/trot would pass me. I'd get my breath back and take off again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I tried to pace people who were doing the tortoise pace and it was really unnatural for me.
- eat something. I didn't eat before I went. The race started at eight. It was a 30 minute drive, I knew parking would be hard to find, and I still had to pick up my bib. So I left the house at six. I don't eat breakfast at six. Yuck. I could feel it dragging on me later. Most specifically as I stumbled my way back to the car after the race was over. I think next time I need to have a protein shake before I go.
- find someone to run with me. Hearing my name announced at the finish line was so great! However, it was also disappointing because I crossed and walked to my car to leave. There was no one there to share my achievement.
- smile. I tried to smile as I neared the cameras at the finish line, I swear I did. However, pretty sure it was much more of a grimace. ;)
Progress...one step at a time.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Roadside Advice
This is a road side reflector. I assume they're commonplace nationwide. They're definitely everywhere on small highways and rural roads in Washington.
Often times, as I've drove, I have found myself wondering what would happen if you hit one. If you hit it just right would it snap off at the base? Or would it harmlessly pass under your car and emerge behind you, bouncing and swaying wildly to and fro?
Well, my advice...
....if you're ever curious...
don't.
Often times, as I've drove, I have found myself wondering what would happen if you hit one. If you hit it just right would it snap off at the base? Or would it harmlessly pass under your car and emerge behind you, bouncing and swaying wildly to and fro?
Well, my advice...
....if you're ever curious...
don't.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Countdown: Two Weeks to Race One
It's May folks. How did that happen so quickly?
My first race is practically just around the corner. I seemed to have found myself with a bit of a problem. Not too big of one I hope. In addition to my other workouts I've gone for a long run every Saturday for the last few weeks. I'm not fast by any means, but I manage to churn out nearly six miles each run.
However, two weeks ago after the run my calves were killing me! I thought I just needed to loosen things up. Sunday I did some light jogging, but followed by engaging in a short sprint with my son. That was a very bad idea. Squatting down on my haunches to lace up my daughter's shoes was excruciating. "Ice & stretch" was the sage advice I received, and so I did. I also took the rest of the week off from doing anything else. No running, no weights. Downward dog became a favorite stretch and towards the end of the week things felt better.
Thinking myself ready, I headed out on my run this weekend, only to find a few short yards in that no, my calves did not feel better. I toughed it out and plodded my way to my friends house. After meeting up, we ran another couple miles.
I'm not running this weekend and the following weekend is the Race. I'll definitely be doing shorter runs and sprints during this week and next.
I'm thinking better pre-workout stretches may be the key. Anyone have some helpful suggestions or links to what has worked for them? I'd appreciate it, as hobbling is not my style!
My first race is practically just around the corner. I seemed to have found myself with a bit of a problem. Not too big of one I hope. In addition to my other workouts I've gone for a long run every Saturday for the last few weeks. I'm not fast by any means, but I manage to churn out nearly six miles each run.
However, two weeks ago after the run my calves were killing me! I thought I just needed to loosen things up. Sunday I did some light jogging, but followed by engaging in a short sprint with my son. That was a very bad idea. Squatting down on my haunches to lace up my daughter's shoes was excruciating. "Ice & stretch" was the sage advice I received, and so I did. I also took the rest of the week off from doing anything else. No running, no weights. Downward dog became a favorite stretch and towards the end of the week things felt better.
Thinking myself ready, I headed out on my run this weekend, only to find a few short yards in that no, my calves did not feel better. I toughed it out and plodded my way to my friends house. After meeting up, we ran another couple miles.
I'm not running this weekend and the following weekend is the Race. I'll definitely be doing shorter runs and sprints during this week and next.
I'm thinking better pre-workout stretches may be the key. Anyone have some helpful suggestions or links to what has worked for them? I'd appreciate it, as hobbling is not my style!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Happy Thoughts
The mind is an amazing thing. You can be focused on what's in front of you while your brain is ruminating on something else entirely. Your characters can be plotting and developing in the recesses of your mind, for example. Or a conversation you had could be replaying in your head. Lyrics to your favorite song could be on repeat.
Often you don't even realize it until you have that "ah ha" breakthrough moment, or when you catch yourself humming or singing.
Peter Pan had it right. With a happy though you can fly!
My favorite people are my happy thoughts and they're always on my mind. First thing in the morning; last thing at night. Not in an obsessive, stalkerish sort of way, but they're always there, in the recesses of my mind. My happy place.
They're just there, making me smile. My mind touches on thoughts of them throughout the day. Those that I'm closest too are never far from my heart and my immediate thoughts. Usually that thought inspires a quick text just because or a funny tweet or sometimes an email or a *gasp* hand-written note. Sometimes the thought makes me do something crazy, like send flowers, a silly gift, or have Chinese food delivered.
When my kids are at school, I sometimes note the time and think, "oh they're at lunch" or "I hope my son's test went well." My BFF is a long distance away from me and no day feels complete without at least a good morning and good night text.
When I haven't heard from them I have this emptiness, a distinct feeling that something is missing. My happy is missing a key component.
If there is a good reason for the lack of connection, my mind lingers on them and while I miss them, I mostly think how lucky I am to have such great people in my life. However, when there is no plausible explanation, I find it hard to focus on anything but the missing component.
How about you? What are your happy thoughts? What do you do when they go missing? What have you done lately to show the people you love how much you appreciate them?
Often you don't even realize it until you have that "ah ha" breakthrough moment, or when you catch yourself humming or singing.
Peter Pan had it right. With a happy though you can fly!
My favorite people are my happy thoughts and they're always on my mind. First thing in the morning; last thing at night. Not in an obsessive, stalkerish sort of way, but they're always there, in the recesses of my mind. My happy place.
They're just there, making me smile. My mind touches on thoughts of them throughout the day. Those that I'm closest too are never far from my heart and my immediate thoughts. Usually that thought inspires a quick text just because or a funny tweet or sometimes an email or a *gasp* hand-written note. Sometimes the thought makes me do something crazy, like send flowers, a silly gift, or have Chinese food delivered.
When my kids are at school, I sometimes note the time and think, "oh they're at lunch" or "I hope my son's test went well." My BFF is a long distance away from me and no day feels complete without at least a good morning and good night text.
When I haven't heard from them I have this emptiness, a distinct feeling that something is missing. My happy is missing a key component.
If there is a good reason for the lack of connection, my mind lingers on them and while I miss them, I mostly think how lucky I am to have such great people in my life. However, when there is no plausible explanation, I find it hard to focus on anything but the missing component.
How about you? What are your happy thoughts? What do you do when they go missing? What have you done lately to show the people you love how much you appreciate them?
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Trail Running
Today I went running in the woods with a bunch of kids.
It was super fun. It was drizzly and cool, but all of that was forgotten as we ran through the woods on trails softened with fallen pine needles.
Then the boys (fifteen year olds) decided it would be even more fun to reenact the Hunger Games.
There were arrows flying all over the place! Stealth and evasion were instituted. I believe there was even a hatchet blow to the head!
The funniest part was when my son went turbo sprint into a corner and lost traction tumbling into a triple barrel roll. Of course, being a good mom I withheld my laughter until after I made sure he was uninjured. ;)
I'm hoping to make this part of my normal workout routine. After all, laughter is good medicine!
What fun activities do you like to include in your workout?
Embedding was disabled for this video...please follow the link.
It was super fun. It was drizzly and cool, but all of that was forgotten as we ran through the woods on trails softened with fallen pine needles.
Then the boys (fifteen year olds) decided it would be even more fun to reenact the Hunger Games.
There were arrows flying all over the place! Stealth and evasion were instituted. I believe there was even a hatchet blow to the head!
The funniest part was when my son went turbo sprint into a corner and lost traction tumbling into a triple barrel roll. Of course, being a good mom I withheld my laughter until after I made sure he was uninjured. ;)
I'm hoping to make this part of my normal workout routine. After all, laughter is good medicine!
What fun activities do you like to include in your workout?
Embedding was disabled for this video...please follow the link.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Love to Hate You
Technology.
The word alone sparks love and hatred.
Right now, hatred.
I hate my smartphone. Which is all the more frustrating because I need my smartphone.
I don't have a land line. My smartphone is my link to the world. I get both work and personal emails there. I tweet. Then there are blog and Facebook updates (both reading and making them). Most importantly, text messages are my link to the most important people in my life. I also have a game or two that entertain me. Of least importance, is the fact that it is a phone.
However, my Verizon Droid Incredible, is an incredible piece of crap. For some time I've been getting these "low storage space" messages. Googling has revealed that it is some sort of internal cache that is sized very, very small. How to fix it? No way that I can tell. Why? Most of the solutions I've found suggest rooting your phone to rid yourself of the phone bloating applications Verizon forces on you like MyVerizon, Skype, Slacker, etc.
I'd love to root my phone. In fact, I asked my resident tech guru expert at work to do exactly that. After all, he rooted my boss's phone in less than 5 minutes.
What happened?
He messed with mine for over thirty minutes before giving up. The Droid Incredible, bless its little robotic heart (that's southern for 'fucking piece of shit' btw according to my friend @evinschmevin), can't be rooted if its been updated to a certain OS/hardware update/something.
So, I'm stuck with this anger inducing phone for the next ten months.
Somehow, a few minutes ago, I managed to make the low space message go away. However, along with it went my contacts, my text messages and my emails. It's rebooting while I write this and resist the urge to take a freaking sledgehammer to it.
What piece of technology do you love to hate?
The word alone sparks love and hatred.
Right now, hatred.
I hate my smartphone. Which is all the more frustrating because I need my smartphone.
I don't have a land line. My smartphone is my link to the world. I get both work and personal emails there. I tweet. Then there are blog and Facebook updates (both reading and making them). Most importantly, text messages are my link to the most important people in my life. I also have a game or two that entertain me. Of least importance, is the fact that it is a phone.
However, my Verizon Droid Incredible, is an incredible piece of crap. For some time I've been getting these "low storage space" messages. Googling has revealed that it is some sort of internal cache that is sized very, very small. How to fix it? No way that I can tell. Why? Most of the solutions I've found suggest rooting your phone to rid yourself of the phone bloating applications Verizon forces on you like MyVerizon, Skype, Slacker, etc.
I'd love to root my phone. In fact, I asked my resident tech guru expert at work to do exactly that. After all, he rooted my boss's phone in less than 5 minutes.
What happened?
He messed with mine for over thirty minutes before giving up. The Droid Incredible, bless its little robotic heart (that's southern for 'fucking piece of shit' btw according to my friend @evinschmevin), can't be rooted if its been updated to a certain OS/hardware update/something.
So, I'm stuck with this anger inducing phone for the next ten months.
Somehow, a few minutes ago, I managed to make the low space message go away. However, along with it went my contacts, my text messages and my emails. It's rebooting while I write this and resist the urge to take a freaking sledgehammer to it.
What piece of technology do you love to hate?
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