Tag: challenges

challenges

Food Pong

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Most people have heard, observed, or played beer pong at some point in their lives. Some may remember more details than others. I’m also sure there is a kids version of pong but today’s twist is food pong.

Same red solo cups. Same instructions. Only instead of beer there is a mystery snack or something that may have been liquid but is now frozen or jelled. Such a scary game to play when you don’t know what’s in the solo cup. Will you like it? Will you puke? Only time will tell.

First up I got Wickle Pickles. I had to eat a couple of these, but they had a nice zing of spice that lingered. Then came the nacho kale chips that were supposed to taste like Doritos but I’d say it was closer chalky dirt. Up next was vodka-soaked gummies which were pretty self-explanatory but not a good accent to the other items.

A little alcohol-infused gummies didn’t settle my tummy for what was next. Birthday cake flavored peeps. So much sugar sitting in my stomach on top of the mess already loaded in there. If I wasn’t already to quit, out came the wasabi peas. I don’t even eat wasabi with my sushi, making this a hard one to stomach.

Now that I have played food pong or pantry pong, I think I would recommend beer pong every time. It seems more logical to choose the simplicity of beer and get a hangover vs feeling like you want to vomit for the next few hours.

in the end, this was fun, gross, and adventurous all at once. Stay tuned for my next adventure post to see what kind of trouble will lurk on the months and weeks ahead. 

adventure, friendship

Biloxi, Mississippi

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The stage is set for Biloxi, MS in spring of 2022. The first official road trip booked for the RV but who knows if it will actually be the first trip actually taken in it. Yes that is a mouthful but so true. Seeing that I am spontaneous I may opt for another quick getaway before I adventure to Biloxi.

No matter what trip I choose and when, I’m hoping for a positive experience but it could be a shit show/learning experience. The preparations have been in the works for some time, thus I can only hope we are really ready to tackle our new travel lifestyle with ease. If hope doesn’t work out then I will try to exercise patience and show grace as needed. 

Practice makes perfect, they say. Well we are practicing as much as we can before we extend our travels outside of 8 hours from home base. I’ll be holding my breath to avoid flat tires. I’ll be crossing my fingers that I don’t forget to pack a vital item. I’ll be positive in dealing with emotions of others in confined space. I’ll be thankful my dogs get to be roadies, but hoping they can hang like champs.

New cities.

New mode of transportation.

New adventures for me and my travel mates.

New memories to catalog in the photo reel.

Let the journey to the unknowns begin. Let the travel mates enjoy the experiences that are cast upon them. Let me live many days to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets with everything I can squeeze in between. 2022 travels are underway. Where will I go?  How many states will I park in overnight? How many states will I pass through? Which destinations will I choose to blog about? 

Cheers to adventuring.

author moments, family

Got Wheels Will Travel

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Ah, to be sixteen again. Fresh wheels. Gas in the tank. No “have tos” as it’s the weekend. Where to go. Who to see. Back. Forth. Back and forth. Back again. Around again and again.

This about sums up the life of my youngest. Fridays mean off with friends. Time to blow off steam. Sleep in Saturday as it was a long week (in teenager eyes). Need to rest the mind and the body.

Mid-day rise on Saturday. Nothing on the calendar so off she goes. Zoom. Zoom. Here, there, everywhere. An errand. A drop off. A visit with a friend. Some food. Back to home base for a quick change. Evening plans are in motion. 

Off again. Social life calls. Sleepover calls name. I must. I must. Snuggle up Sunday is here. Lazy time thanks to the busy go-go-go that began Friday. A few chores, a quick favor for another, a car wash, a pick up at a friend’s. Zoom. Zoom.

5pm hits. Dinner time is approaching. Maybe it’s time to see the teen for a few minutes and share a meal. Maybe some conversation or maybe not. Head phones. Social media. Homework. Prep for the week is now here.

Where did the time go? Once a teen gets a set of wheels or gets independent by way of driving, relationships change. Mommas are no longer needed. Well they are needed but not in the same way. It’s beautiful to watch but it’s sad at the same time. The time you once spent together is now replaced with time with others.

When it’s your youngest or last it hits a little harder. Empty nest syndrome is near in sight. You look for opportunities to savor the time that remains before college or adulthood. Once the 18 number hits your value fades. You are needed but not as much as the sisterhood of a sorority, of a sports team, or a love interest.

The relationship in my mind drifts until 26 years of age. At this point the need resurfaces. Maybe for financial guidance. Maybe for grandparenting time. Maybe for help of some sort. Whatever the reason it’s a long wait.

I think my favorite age of kids is 8-11 years. Fun to play with. Old enough to listen. Not too much sass talking. And overall it’s a time they still need you. To get here or there. To buy this or that. For food. And so on.

Parenting doesn’t have a rule book. It’s expensive to say the least. It’s full of memories, both good and bad. Parenting shows your flaws as well as your strengths in your offspring. That might be the hardest part of parenting. Looking in the mirror.

Seeing the stubbornness.

Seeing the attitude.

Living with a mini version of oneself.

I still wouldn’t change it for the world but I do miss the favorite age I mentioned above. I have three kids in three different stages. They all give me joy, stress, and aw shit moments. For this rant I’m just putting it on paper. A way of confirming what life is for me now. 

challenges

The Real Struggle

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The struggle is real in life sometimes. I confidently state this based on experience and nothing less. Maybe I should say the struggle is real for many in life, daily. Different obstacles. Different battles. Different consequences. Different choices. Just a different set of variables that create the real struggle.

Anxiety is real.

Depression is real.

Fear is real.

Anger is real.

The list could go on and on. Sometimes it’s one struggle. Sometimes the struggles are intertwined like a tangled web. When multiple challenges hit at once the struggle compounds and many feel helpless. It may take a special person in their life to help them find the hope they need to see or feel to push through the barriers of tangled web. This person could be you. Always be ready to help others.

Today I had a struggle. I was angry. I couldn’t let my anger go. My anger hand many prongs.

I knew better than to let anger steal my joy. My time. My energy. My productivity. Despite knowing I held onto it for longer than needed. I knew my anger spilled over to others around me. This poor choice didn’t define me, rather it consumed me. It took a few unexpected wrinkles in my day to realize I could just let it go. Bye Felicia. It was like my day started over at that moment. A fresh start of sorts at almost 4:00 pm after I was no longer consumed by anger. 

Then a shift to an in-person encounter a few hours later. There was a need. I could aid in the solution. I was called to duty. A young life needed my support. My time. My me energy. My positivity. I was on it. I knew what needed to be done and I plowed through the action items. This struggle was different in content or context but in reality the let shit go aspect was a common denominator. The struggle was addressed despite the curve balls of the day. If I didn’t let go of my anger I might not have had enough mental clarity to help this young person. A good reminder to just let shit go that is weighing you down.

As I winded down for bed a close friend hit the “phone a friend” line. I was there on the other end. I listened with curiosity. We set boundaries. We discussed the value in seeing beyond 5 feet ahead. The what’s on the horizon visual. Hope was offered. Hope is free. Hoping for a better day tomorrow. Hoping for a new opportunity. Hoping to see what is ahead vs. focusing on what’s in the past. The past can’t be changed, but in the future you get to write your own story. A new chapter begins each day. It could be a happy chapter, a sad chapter, a progress chapter, a new beginning chapter or other fun stuff.

All three of these scenarios are real. The people are real. The problems are real. The pain is real. The struggle is real. Each chose the next chapter despite their burdens or struggles. Life’s path is never easy. Never uncomplicated. The adversity of life is part of the journey. Without struggles we could never learn about ourselves or others.

It’s easy to walk away from those who struggle. Many fear helping those who are struggling because it means sharing in their pain. Opt in. Offer to help others through the struggles. It doesn’t mean you need to give people money. It means you can help them see the sunshine in whatever is holding them back or weighing them down.

Do your part. Offer hope in any form.

This post is dedicated to my gal Patty. May everyone have the power of Patty as they overcome their next obstacle in life. 

adventure, friendship

Soul Refreshment

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I read a comment recently on social media.  It went something like this: friendship can be soul refreshing. That’s it. Simple. Clever. Clear. Refreshing the soul can be as easy as 1-2-3. Take the time. Gather your friends. Make room on the calendar…

Smile. Giggle. Do silly things. Take pictures. Share life updates. Repeat. Why? It’s refreshment for the soul. A recharge to the doom and gloom of the ordinary day. It’s a new outlook on the day even if it’s for a short time. I enjoy my time with friends and my refreshment spills over into other areas of life. 

For me today it was about the insert in the Jenga box. The cardboard piece that looks like an electrical outlet. It really wasn’t part of the game but it turned into part of my game. A photo session of sorts. For those few moments, we giggled and embraced our silly side. Not for any particular reason. The outcome is one for my memory book.

Below is a glimpse of my candids. These people are real. The smiles are genuine. These are a few of my pals and I very much enjoying doing whatever with them when we can get time all together. Fit friends all separated by different careers, family lives and social circles yet our passion for fitness has bound us to true pals. 

Time and distance can separate us but our bond is strong. One of these gems is training for a marathon. One is building endurance for a triathlon. One is conquering workouts at home to avoid Covid blah. A couple are die hard morning girls hitting the gym in the wee hours when they don’t want to get out from under the covers. One is challenging herself with 75 hard. Special. Unique. Amazing. Women of power in many ways.

In the end we all cheer for each other. By text. Video chat. Email. In-person. These friends of mine are refreshment for my soul. No matter the day, they are some of the strong women I lean on.

This is yet another adventure with rainbow sugar socks and rainbow fancy feet however this time bubbles pixie duster joined in along with some others. For those of you read my last adventure post, you would know where the name aliases came from. If not it might be worth a look back. I’ll try to mention some names in my upcoming adventures, friends edition.