Tag: care

travel

Trapped In 1976

2chicksandapen

Vacation was winding down. All loaded on the plane to make the final leg of the journey. All was looking good until the final pilot check showed a leak in the hydraulics. We wait on the mechanic to diagnose. We sit on the plane. Tempers flare. The people watching gets interesting. Then the news arrives. We must wait for a part to be flown in. We are removed from the plane and the sighs begin, instantly. Then the pilots time out of available fly time to get us home. Nobody is getting home today!

Chaos begins. People are grouchy. Lines are long to get rebooked. Unaccompanied minor’s facial expressions show worry. Airline employees brace for the worst. Plans need to be made for an unexpected night stay. The list goes on an on. Since I was just wrapping up vacation, I was sad to have to wait another day to get home but was overall pretty chill compared to some others who might have just been starting their vacation. I waited in line for hours. I was shuffled to another line for another hour. The process wasn’t as smooth as it could have been but I survived. 

Now the first positive I celebrated when heading to my mystery accommodations was the sunset. It was beautiful and I wouldn’t have seen it, if my plans weren’t altered. The second positive was I had a great burger for dinner before heading off to the motel I knew nothing about. The rest of the adventure was…

This was a field trip. A time capsule to the 70s. Just an interesting experience all together. The main lobby door was closed which seemed weird upon arrival. We had to enter the side door. The reason was the holiday nutcracker display took up the whole lobby. I can’t remember the exact count but it was a massive amount of poinsettias, nutcrackers, little trees and many interesting holiday decorations.  The lobby was old-fashioned and somehow I felt like I was stuck in a time warp.

I even felt like the arrival to the locked main door was the onset of bad things to follow. A horror movie of sorts. What would be lurking around the next corner. Was the lobby going to be smoke filled like lobbies were in the 70s? Was the clerk going to have that raspy smoker voice? Would I get a key on a weird wooden keychain?

My room was on the main floor. Literally in the parking lot. Glass door facing the lot and the road. The wall to the outside was glass. I felt like anytime a vehicle was going to just come crashing through the glass into my bed! The pool was in the basement of the lobby. This was extra odd to me. There was a sign in sheet to enter and exit. I really wanted to explore but it seemed so odd I just didn’t. A hidden pool beneath the motel stuck in the 1970s. Oh I had too many questions in my mind.

The interior. Maybe it was stylish to some but I felt trapped in 1976. The lack of everything modern. The outlets or lack thereof. The heating system. The decor. It was like a carousel of progress broke in 1976 and I was just stuck in a time warp. The TV might be the only accessory updated since 2000. The picture below shows a glimpse of the bathroom. Clean of course but style was definitely outdated. The half tiled wall. The marbled sink. The plaster-type wall surface. The sink handle gave me flashbacks to childhood. It was all just too creepy for me.

I just need to circle back to the glass door and wall of glass. My entrance way to heaven or hell. It was bare to me. Left me feeling exposed. Vulnerable to a break in. Paranoid for a vehicle crash. It was cold to the touch. The outside temperature was in the teens that night adding to the ambiance. Then there was the sound. The opening and closing. Not just of my glass door, but others. Above me. Next to me. Down the way. 

Clack. Slam. Vroom. The sliding. The slamming. The clacking. Is it locked? The checks. The rechecks. It seemed to go on for hours. Above me. Beside me. Near me. Click. Click. Click. Sirens they zip by here and there. The sounds of whispers on the walkway. The whisper grew louder and they were in the room with you.  The environment was full of adventure if you were just still. Lord knows I was still waiting for death to come crashing through my glass doorway!

The cars outside. Zipping. Zooming. Screeching. Too close for comfort. The still of the night finally arrived and I faded off into dreamland. I absolutely never would have picked this motel as my accommodation. I definitely won’t be back. I don’t see myself making a recommendation unless someone wants to relive that time era.

I had a lived experience. I wrote about it. The experience was not my favorite but I lived to tell about it. I wouldn’t hit the redo button but I can definitely giggle about many moments lived. Embrace the unknown, unexpected and down right weird moments of your life.

Cheers to the unexpected days life brings. This may also be my second or third excursion this year to a desolate airport. So many differences in each experience of the wee hours of night or early morning at the airport with a handful of people before the hustle and bustle of day arrives. 

The photo above was my last airport picture. I enjoyed sitting by the warmth of the fireplace with the holiday decorations and gathering my thoughts before hopping on my now fixed plane to journey home.

anonymous letters

Feedback

2chicksandapen

Feedback is a general term. Feedback is all around us. It can be good or bad. It can be positive or negative. It can be insightful or misinformed. It can be valuable or trash.

As my dad would say, opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink. But when someone is paying you or has power over you, their opinion holds greater weight. You can’t just dismiss it as meaningless, no matter how short sighted or bewildering it may be. I guess that’s when, for me, it goes beyond just random opinion and becomes feedback.

Everyone likes positive feedback. It’s great when people love you. But what about when it’s negative? I used to spin out over criticism. I took it personally. I would spend days hashing it over in my mind, maybe with a friend I trusted. I’d often want to take my ball and go home and not play in whatever arena it was anymore. Why play if I am not good at it?

Now I try to reframe criticism as feedback. I think to myself, this person is telling me what is important to them. If my boss is unhappy with things lying around my workplace? He is telling me that his priority is how things look. If he takes me out of meetings that are about teaching and learning, he is telling me my priorities should be elsewhere. If he gets excited about special events and pizza parties, that’s where my attention needs to be.

Same holds true in sales. If a customer doesn’t like what I am selling and they tell me, it’s an opportunity to listen and adjust. I can learn what a customer values by listening to their feedback.

I may see things differently. I can argue that I didn’t get into education and earn a PhD to spend hours on clerical work. I can tell them all the things I do to help teachers. I can explain to a customer all the subtleties and value that I believe they missed.

Maybe I’ll change their minds, maybe not. Maybe I care, maybe I don’t. It’s my choice to play in the sandbox or leave. I can adjust my energy and priorities to match what others want or I can do something else.

Deep down I am a people pleaser and I like gold stars. But I have learned that I can control the amount of importance I give to others’ feedback, whether it’s positive or negative or somewhere in between. I can shake my head and keep going and not let it pull me from my path. Take it for what it’s worth and know that it does not determine my personal worth. Full stop.

fitness and nutrition, giving

Poke Me Poke Forward

2chicksandapen

I’ve made it a point to try new things this year. New things include new foods. Today I experienced my first poke bowl.

I was a bit conservative with my choices but I enjoyed it and thought it was filling. I had double shrimp for my protein. They were small shrimp but they tasted good. I had some roughage in the bowl as well as crunchy onion bits, carrot strings and onion slices. I stayed away from the sauce and raw stuff.

I neglected to save a photo because I was too excited to give it a try. This meal was especially sweet because a loved one sent it to me via Uber eats. It came delivered nicely in a brown bag dropped on my porch. This was also my first time using Uber eats even though I didn’t actually place the order. 

What I learned in the process was how convenient Uber eats can be for somebody you care about that is a distance away. You can easily order online, follow the delivery status and communicate to the recipient for them to follow along as well. I even got a text showing it arrived. So convenient.

In my case this was sent from miles away in another state. I enjoyed the thought of a virtual meal with my buddy who was unable to be with me in person. Such a cool experience. I will be sure to pay this idea forward in the weeks ahead. 

My hope is that I send a meal forward and the recipient is as elated as me and pays it forward to another. Not to make Uber eats benefit but rather to share joy with others through a meal even if you can’t sit across from each other at a table.

Poke forward. That’s my motto for the weeks ahead. Maybe for a meal train for somebody in need. Maybe for an elderly person living alone. So many options.

author moments, health

The Massage. Some Womanly Advice. Don’t Miss This…

2chicksandapen

It’s been a long awaited time to visit my favorite massage therapist due primarily to Corona restrictions and a limited schedule offered when the spa actually re-opened.

Today was the day. It’s been almost two years since I was going to get a massage from my favorite masseuse. He is tall, strong and has that sexy European accent. That’s not what I get most excited about though. It’s the movement techniques he applies. It’s like a dance of sorts. As relaxing music plays in the background the pressure points in your body are hit. Gentle and harsh motions. Deep as well surface penetration is applied in a methodical way.

Back to the dance. He leads and my body reacts. It’s that simple. I need to release the tension of the world and allow my body to enter the relaxation state that many don’t experience. And then while in that moment, my body dances or receives the massage motions/movements. The tension goes away. The aches subside. Nothing else matters. No background noise is heard aside from the gentle sound of background music.

When the body moves well there is an occasional pop or natural release. From hot stones to warm towels to aroma therapy, the experience is like no other. Of course I have had other massages but this therapist is by far my favorite due to his techniques.

Face down is how it begins. The shoulders. The back. The arms. The hips. The thighs. The legs. Nothing is skipped. You feel the pressure and release in your quads. Your calves. Your IT bands. Even your fingers and toes.

Then there is a pause. The slight pause is time for the flip. Flat on your back the process starts again. More oil. More warm towels. More pampering from head to toe. The forearms. The chest muscles feel the finger rub to get the smaller area. The triceps and biceps get a little more pressure. The toes crack. The feet are flexed in new ways.

I won’t give you every last detail however I will say I am completely refreshed. My mind. My body. My soul. I am capping off my session with very berry smoothie. Pictured above is the cherry on top. The chilly, protein packed refreshment. Now I am off to enjoy the rest of my weekend.

Some may say this is me spoiling myself and unneeded.  I will respond with this is self care and you should try it! From me to you. Get the massage. Spoil yourself. You are worth it! For my male readers: spoil your partner. Let them know you are okay with them relaxing and unwinding. 

awareness

Action Words

2chicksandapen

Pooped
Tired
Exhausted 
Fatigued

The action words above describe me after today. After the crazy week. After all the emotional highs and lows I experienced. Too many highs and lows to note. More importantly, my week resembled a roller coaster of life. A real shit show.

Refreshed
Recharged
Rejuvenated 
Rested

The above action words describe me now after some time alone. After some time to gather my thoughts. After an unplanned trip to the coffee shop for a sweet treat. After a day outside In the fresh air. After a trip to chase the mountain air.

I had plenty of things on my to do list. I had a few events I could have gone to. I had some folks I could have visited with. There were many things I could have done but instead I chose me. Just me. Just time away from the noise. The chaos. The crazy. The stupid. All of it.

A plane ride to an island might have been a nice oasis but with the pandemic still lurking my options were a little closer to my normal than a vacation destination. The destination didn’t so much matter as much as the journey. The break in the cycle of chaos.

Many times I talk about a reset button. We all have them. We all need to use them at times. If you don’t reset the crack will deepen. The crack will then turn in sink holes that you can’t find your way out of. A trap of sorts.

Many may never see you need a reset but I’m sure you know. The question is can you just drop the to do it list and fix you? I do. I do it sometimes more than I want to or more than I want to admit. The point is I’m not afraid to say I need a mental health day. A day off the grid. A day doing the unexpected or unplanned. There is only one of me and in order to fire on all cylinders when it’s needed others around me need to know not to let the crack deepen. They need to see a stress fracture and say I can cover for you. Take a break.

How many just want somebody to notice they need a break? Many. Some people don’t ask if you are okay because they are scared of what you will say. Some won’t ask a hard question because of fear. I take the fear away from others. I say what I feel and do what I need to because nobody can fix me but me. 

This rant was about mental health A-Z. I may use myself as an example above but it’s relatable to many. Our teachers need a break from the chaos they see daily. The students need a break from what’s all been thrown their way, too. Let’s not forget about the parents that are juggling work, carpool changes due to Covid changes last minute, who has shots and who doesn’t, mask or no mask….they need a break. A break without punishment. A day off.

How many actually take a day off. How many people say no you can’t have that day off. Plenty! Plenty is one too many. My mom always said never judge a person until you walk a day in their shoes. Many have shoes I wouldn’t want to fill in this day and age and heck many wouldn’t want to be in my shoes most days. For whatever reason we need to have the ability to recharge. Reset. And just play hooky.

10 years ago I’d never tell my kid they could take a day off just because. However today I leave the possibility open. PTO of sorts. Physical time off. Time away. Taking care of self before others. Getting into nature. Moving the body. Stimulating what you want vs. what you have to. That homework can wait. In today’s world it’s okay.

When I revisit this post in a few years I may have a different mindset but today this is my journal post of sorts.

I will leave this post with words of discomfort. Words that require action in one way or another. What’s relevant today but most likely to be avoided.

Covid

Pandemic

Mask required

Vaccinated

Quarantine

Symptoms 

Restrictions 

Zoom

Digital day

Hoping 2022 has something spectacular lurking. 2021 is just as much of blur as 2020.