Communication Errors

Uniforms, Tax Returns and Storytelling

After reading Peggy Noonan’s “A Remedial Communications Class” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444873204577537352872463474.html)

I was struck with the following thought- FINALLY- someone is articulating what has been going through my mind regarding the media lately.

Here are the points she made which truly resonated with me:

  • Having our Olympic team’s uniforms made in China was only half the problem- the other half was they looked like high fashion runway rejects in the end.
  • Mitt Romney should have been more proactive in handling his tax returns since 2007 when he was being looked at as a Presidential running mate so now he would have no qualms about turning them over.
  • President Obama needs to think before he speaks- here are two quotes from her article which make the point best:

” Feel guilty because your hard-working neighbors built that road.” How about nobody feel guilty?”

” The mistake of my first couple of years was thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right,m but you know

the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism.”

She continues with “I am certain the president has no idea how patronizing he sounds. His job is to tell us a story?”

Finally she mentions the narrative which seems to be happening in this country and I loved this:

“The narrative on the president right now is: He’s not a bad guy, but it hasn’t worked.”

Thanks for a great article Ms. Noonan!

Worst run in 10 years!

So, for all the runs I have taken in the last 10 years yesterday was the worst! Whether it was the food I ate for lunch, going in the early afternoon (not my normal time), the heat or something else. Yesterday’s 8 miles were the worst ever!

Now that I have that out I am still glad I went and didn’t quit. Days like yesterday remind me of why I love to run and make me appreciate all the runs that feel good.

You see, I love to run, love the meditative time I get and enjoy seeing where I live on foot. It gives me time to sort through things some days, time to not think on others. Either way running is something I have always loved.

So for all the days you may go out and your run stinks like mine did yesterday- use it like I do, to appreciate all the runs that DON’T!

Marathon- Starting training for my first

So, this year started with an amazing goal, to do the Tough Mudder in Whistler in June. Then my main support for my training was GONE for when I needed to ramp up my training! Sidelined by life- when something has to give the training for this was it.

I was feeling a bit bitter and jealous of anyone who got to do it!

How did I get to the Marathon?

First- I have wanted to do a marathon for some time.

Second- An amazing friend, Cheri Fiorucci, who writes on blogspot “the world through my shoes”, inspires me. She has run many marathons and helped me realize I could too!

Third- I got inspired. I went to a function back in May for the Ben Towne Foundation- and left inspired and committed to making a real difference with this charity. As I started combing their site I saw they had a team for the Portland Marathon- so this week I started. I am scared I won’t be ready but I will do my best and I am so excited to help increase awareness for the Ben Towne Foundation!

Wish me luck!

Did you look in the mirror before you left the house?

The vision- of slobs in sweats

At school, walking away, I see several moms, whom I have known for a long time. They fascinate me. You see here they are, intelligent, attractive, skilled, funny, organized, capable, and they look like total slobs.

Now, you will think I am just being mean, but you see I had my turn a few years ago, when MANY things in my life had gone awry. My life was good you see, but I was in the middle of a LOT of change- my mother had died, my husband had just started a new stressful job, my youngest had just turned one and I was working on my own business.

My turn

This is when a friend came to visit. Someone I admire greatly, her visit was crazy because of my schedule, but while she was here we managed an afternoon together to go clothes shopping. A rare treat for me at the time, to get a chance to go shopping with a woman I admire, with no kids.

We left the house, got the kids dropped off, and made it to Nordstrom’s. After we had found some lovely things to try on in the dressing rooms we went in, separate rooms, but side by side. I had hung everything up in my dressing room and then took a moment to look in the mirror before I tried on what I had brought in. A shocked “oh lord,” came out of my mouth- Jo asked what was wrong and I said “I can’t believe I left the house looking like this!” Her response was a highly relieved “Thank goodness, I didn’t want to say anything.”

A new mission

From that moment forward it became my mission to check myself before I left the house- so I would be dressed appropriately and at the very least if I was going running, it was clear what I was going to do, so it never appeared I had just thrown on sweats because I couldn’t bother to find anything else to where.

I had my time when I was the disheveled mom, believe me, but I realized the main person I was letting down was myself! However, as things moved on and I cleaned up my appearance, I began to remember how proud I had always been of my mother’s appearance. Note to self, your kids are watching- make sure they are watching you take care of yourself! Also- my husband began to comment more on how nice I looked- bonuses on all sides and all because I went shopping with a friend and realized I had been letting myself go.

Do it for you- this post inspired by …

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303901504577462413753945058.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Pecking order of addictions

I come from a family with a history of alcoholism, I have been blessed with a high metabolism and love exercising- it is my vice- what I turn to when I need to work through something. I have always found hard work very cleansing and healing.

When I read this article this weekend it resonated with me- especially these two quotes:

“And there’s your pecking order of unhappiness, in a nutshell. Of all the overwhelming compulsions you can be ruined by, all of them have some potential for some perfected, self-destructive fascination except eating.”

and

“Perhaps it’s time for women to finally stop being secretive about their vices and instead start treating them like all other addicts treat their habits.”

America’s obsession with thin has always troubled and fascinated me. The effort to stay thin seems, on many levels, equal to the effort required to get fat. Anyone who has been overweight will tell you it didn’t happen overnight- and so will anyone who is fit will tell you- it didn’t happen overnight.

So why is it we still love shows like the Biggest Loser- like it is somehow a ticket to fame to get large enough to make it on a TV show to lose weight?

Frustrated that our world is so full of busy and full of food which is bad for us- we can hardly – as a good friend of mine said last week “Live like you give a damn!”

Think I will be taking this motto to heart this summer and remembering it when I look at the Cheezits!

Darkness

So I have gone dark for the past 8 weeks because my training was totally derailed. Turns out my support network was out of the loop for all of May and June and couldn’t come with me to the Tough Mudder race- which made it come off my agenda!

I have started back running/walking and am matching a friend’s goal this summer of 300 miles between June 1 and Sept. 1- to be prepped for a half-marathon in September in the Skagit Valley.

Should be great incentive for training this summer!

 

Tough Mudder on hold!

So I found out last week my main support for training and during the race will not be around for training OR probably the race!

While I hate putting things on hold, when there are things out of your control it can’t be helped.

So- revamped goal of marathon training through the summer, long runs I can still get in and will get my butt to Belton’s gym to keep the rest of me strong.

Excited for the Snoqualmie 8k this weekend and to go see The Posies tomorrow in Bellingham.

Tim Ferris and Chad Mureta Contest Entry

Save My Rainy Day App Idea

My app idea comes from many days with my kids where we were at the park and it started to rain- and we needed something to do, close by- right away. There still is no app available to do this. Here is my idea:

Save My Rainy Day

The initial search screen would allow you to enter your zip code or location and choose from a drop down menu of:
Play Inside
Play Outside
Watch Something
Make Something
Relax
Eat

You can then enter how many people you have:
2

Choose a Budget
Free
$10-$30
$30-$50
$50-$200

Enter ages of participants
Kids under 10
Kids older than 10
Adults

The result would be a list of the top 5 activities happening closest to you, soonest.

Ideally it would produce, as an example from a local park near me,

A library story time
A kid friendly restaurant with a kids eat free lunch special
A gymnastics establishment with an open gym time in 1 hour
A family friendly coffee shop
A movie theater option

The closest apps I can find to this all offer a calendaring function- so are not what I am seeking. I don’t want to put it on my calendar, I need it solved NOW.
The closest thing available online to this app is the Yelp site- but it does not offer the time or location option on your phone that I can find.

Also, Yelp is limited in its offerings for kids and families. This app would ideally sync (in my local area) with www.SeattlesChild.com and www.parentmap.com to provide family friendly activity ideas in real time.

This app is one which could help a family stranded at a soccer tournament for a weekend in need of something to do for 2 hours between games, it can help parents with kids on vacation stuck inside because of rain, it can help parents of teens who are bored find something to do, NOW.

I have been working on this app idea for some time and am still looking for a good one to use as start material, however, I read your contest and thought it was a good time to chime in and see what happens.

I will be researching this app with your guide from this email, but would love the opportunity to see it become reality. I believe it will help many parents and kids have happier days and connect them with great activities just around the corner they might be missing!

Tried to load a sketch of my app, but it wouldn’t go in this screen. Please go to my blog to see the image at:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=pirates+of+the+caribbean+jack+sinking+boat&hl=en&biw=1200&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbnid=A2-u1n_xdmOlKM:&imgrefurl=http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/File:Jack_and_Sinking_Jolly_Mon_COTBP.jpg&docid=rZyUMaebmssF_M&imgurl=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110317222324/pirates/images/archive/5/56/20110428164502!Jack_and_Sinking_Jolly_Mon_COTBP.jpg&w=1017&h=431&ei=tsl7T-aOFMmUiQKx9_hi&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=419&sig=112215829806165423212&page=1&tbnh=81&tbnw=192&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0&tx=108&ty=41

Dancing with the Devil

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=pirates+of+the+caribbean+jack+sinking+boat&hl=en&biw=1200&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbnid=A2-u1n_xdmOlKM:&imgrefurl=http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/File:Jack_and_Sinking_Jolly_Mon_COTBP.jpg&docid=rZyUMaebmssF_M&imgurl=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110317222324/pirates/images/archive/5/56/20110428164502!Jack_and_Sinking_Jolly_Mon_COTBP.jpg&w=1017&h=431&ei=tsl7T-aOFMmUiQKx9_hi&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=419&sig=112215829806165423212&page=1&tbnh=81&tbnw=192&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0&tx=108&ty=41

Seeking this kind of grace in ditching my leaky ship

There are moments in life when you realize you just danced with the devil. Now don’t worry I haven’t been doing anything truly scary. This is the kind of stuff we look at every day and often fail to see as that dance… Losing our temper, laying down a guilt trip, struggling to re-write a deeply ingrained script.

You know those scripts, the ones which were laid down for you, time and time again by someone you love, trying to teach you….something. Whatever it was and whatever that voice in your head says or what comes out of your mouth on occasion- this is what I call dancing with the devil. You see he is sneaky, he breaks things, a crack at a time. Rarely does he show up in such a way that we can see for what he is.

When we do recognize it, it’s usually on the news or is in the form of the person who sets off every alarm bell in your head, every hair on your neck and every flag your senses can throw at you to get away…. But those times are fleeting and it is that every day dance I fight with most.

Working on rewriting some OLD scripts, and it is hard. Trying to see the pattern before it comes out of my mouth…sigh.

And so, my quote for today comes from Warren Buffet- “In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.”

Working on ditching my leaky boat!

Imperfect Paleo and other thoughts

So this week for Tough Mudder was fun and had great highlights!

Here is the concept of Paleo in a nutshell

I ran one day and decided to spice it up this week with a Hot Yoga class on Saturday. That class was amazing. My run on Sunday my body felt totally different. My shoulders were loose and my stride was much smoother. I ran 8 strong miles instead of the 7 I planned. It was a great workout and many thanks go to Terra Yoga in Issaquah, WA for that class. I will now be adding Hot Yoga to my routine on a regular basis.

This week will have 4 runs in it and the Mud & Chocolate race on Saturday. Looking for another good time and this one in the mud. Should be great fun.

Just fyi I stink at the Paleo diet- so I am doing what I refer to as modified Paleo- which equals Paleo all day with one “cheat” per day. So I can eat one thing a day which is off the Paleo diet. This has kept me sane, not made much difference in my weight- not that I expected it to, but it has made it easier to improve what I am eating without constantly saying No to all the bad stuff. I get to say “Yes” once a day and that seems to be fitting just great.

This image was taken from http://www.paleoplanrecipes.com/paleo-food-list/