Tag: friends

adventure, friendship

The Gift

2chicksandapen

I was gifted a little tiny pig about a month ago. Why? No particular reason, but I felt an immediate connection to the tiny figure. Maybe it was because my son gave it to me. Maybe it was the uniqueness of it. Maybe it was just what I needed to spark my creativity. Cute enough to fit in my pocket. Flirty enough to take on adventures. Off we went.

We spent time out west posing and sharing our adventures via Snapchat with a group of friends. It became a game of sorts. Free entertainment. How could I outdo the last photo or snap? Where else could my pig go? We posed for holiday photos with Santa. We make snarky workplace comments only a pig could get away with. We had a good time.

My pig made it to a national park. My pig visited an animal sanctuary. My pig flew on a plane. My pig traveled to multiple states. My pig has done some funny stuff. My pig even played hide-n-seek virtually. Teens and adults were eager for the next move. I decided to share the wealth or fun. I ordered up a variety of small figurines from Amazon to gift. 

I then put them in holiday cards with instructions to live your best life with your new buddy in 2024. It’s been awesome so far! 

I get messages of coffee with friends. I get snaps about work frustrations. I get destination photos. Milestone photos. Down right funny photos. My last one being a car rave with techno music with my pig and a few new companions.

A simple idea. A simple share. 

Silly as it sounds, I spread smiles. I made a difference. I used my creativity to spark a giggle. To get others to tap into that part of their brain even if they are having a crappy day. We now have a virtual connection that stimulates many near and far.

Just a little fun for you on this Friday. Have you ever given a random gift with no expectation in return? Give it a try. It’s super fun.

Maybe you will catch a glimpse of my miniature friends that will be floating around the internet. I believe we have:

A pig of course.

A turtle out on expeditions.

A sheep having coffee and folding laundry or maybe it’s climbing a mountain.

A cat prancing around the office causing havoc.

A pink flamingo doing flashy stuff.

A duck planning a wedding.

A lady bug being good luck to a cancer patient.

A dog being the best pet for a girl who can’t have a real dog.

And many more are just beginning their journeys. Maybe I’ll give an update later in the year. For now know that my companion hangs out in my little Lululemon shoulder bag waiting for the right photo opportunity to appear. She is going to take an international trip in 2024 and she is going to run a few miles in unique destinations. Yes she is a she. A diva. Of course she has to be as she travels with me. My little pal seems to be an adventure buddy while others may have an emotional connection or a cooking partner. Whatever it means it’s hilarious to me.

2024 is going to be be a blast for me and my piggie! Can you spot the pig below?

challenges, fitness and nutrition

Journey of Sorts

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Wise words: focus on the journey not on the destination. This is a choice we can all make. These are words to live by. No matter what the task or where you are physically going, the choice is there. My words of wisdom will always be choose wisely. Enjoy the process of the start, the middle and the end. That’s the journey. All of it. 

For me, I completed a goal of 100,000 meters last December in an online challenge. I said I should up the goal in 2024 since I attained it. This year, I set the goal of 1 million meters. I started out strong in January 2023, with over 100k. I stayed somewhat consistent with 90k, 92k and then some travel hit that kept me away from the machines that gave me my meters (with my manpower of course).

Fast forward to November and I was away again. I moved my body. I pedaled on a bike and I walked a ton, none of which counted to my meter goals. I could have given up. That would have been easy. Had I focused on the can’t attitude that’s what would have been the result. 

I took those can’ts and made the “I can” to do list. I can finish my meters and I can also do complete the 100,000 challenge in December again. Although they may sound redundant they really aren’t. The 1 million meters are really only accumulated on a bike erg, a ski erg or a row erg. That’s it. That’s all I can count.

On the 100,000 challenge, I can count walking, running, rowing, and cycling. That means I have to turn up my volume of work to balance it all. Add in the weather variables and that can make the walks and run outside a little tricky. Holiday parties and other events taking up extra time makes the goal even trickier. But I am here to say it can be done.

I’m focusing on the journey not the destination. If it was easy everyone would do it. The bumps in the road are part of the process. They are in place to test one’s mental toughness. As I write this blog I am pedaling away on my bike erg on a rainy Sunday. 

It’s not a pretty sight.  I’m in a sweat shack of sorts. It’s got the essentials: music, heat, air and an erg to pedal. That’s all that matters on the rainy day. It’s my tool box for the hour.

Other days I’m adding 10-15 minutes before or after my workout to increase my meters any way I can. Sometimes that’s alone. Sometimes it’s with friends. My runs are short when I am getting in .50 miles for my 100k challenge. Every bit counts I tell myself. The quiet of the run is so peaceful. A great time for me to settle into my thoughts and before you know it I’m no longer thinking about running.

As I close out this blog, I am not done with December but my conclusion is I will be over the finish line before Christmas. My attitude will get me there without a doubt. I hope this post makes you think about the journeys you have in life. Embrace the start the middle and the end. The ride is part of the beauty whether you are taking in sights and sounds or climbing your own mountain to achieve what’s at the top.

Uncategorized

Wavelength

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“Let’s play wavelength.”

A two-hour road trip with two of my favorite teens. Passing the time with music and games and giggles. I had no idea what this game was but I was all in from my perch in the back seat.

“You pick a number from 1-10 and then the person tries to figure it out. They can ask for 5 descriptions then they have to guess.”

There were three of us. The odd girl out played the role of the confirmation person, making sure that the numbers didn’t lie. Meaning, the two non-guessers had to actually share the number in advance to be sure it was all on the up and up.

The first example was pretty easy. She flashed her fingers behind the head rest.

Then the guesser started firing questions:

-office supply

-trip itinerary

-fast food order

-ski resort

-school subject

For school subject, one description was “PE class, but first period of the day.” The guesser said aloud…”PE is awesome, but first period means you’re sweaty all day so that takes it down a bit. That’s about a 6.”

For trip itinerary, I said “a road trip to the beach on a 3-day weekend.” The guesser then reasoned aloud again: ”I love the beach, but a road trip means it’s a closeby beach I’ve probably been to before and a 3-day weekend means I won’t be there long. That’s a 5.” 

After 5 clues, the guesser chooses the number.

These two teens and I have known each other for more than a handful of years. Still, I was surprised how often they guessed each other’s numbers. Even with time passing and a couple of years in age and experience separating them, they are still on each other’s wavelength. 

Me in the mix was a little different. For example, when I asked for “school supply” one of the girls said a mechanical pencil with a certain type of lead. I immediately guessed 2 since I hate mechanical pencils. Then the clue giver changed her clue to a colorful flair pen, which moved my guess up to an 8, which was much closer to the target number. It really is about knowing each other and being on a similar wavelength. 

As we enter this time of family, road trips, and togetherness, it might be fun to see who is on your wavelength.

–

adventure

Our DIY Key Lime Crawl

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A recent friend adventure was my 50th birthday trip to the Florida Keys. It was a grand time with some amazing gal pals. We did so much, it’s hard to know how to slice and dice and share it all. With that in mind, here’s the first of what’s likely to be several posts about our extravaganza.

When you think of the Florida Keys, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Jimmy Buffett? Kokomo? Well for some of us in our little group, our eyes lit up at the prospect of all the key lime pies we could try.

As I got further and further into my research, I learned that pie is only the start of the key lime culinary culture of the Florida Keys. Key lime cocktails, taffy, ice cream, soap, lotion, and more could be a part of our key lime caper.

We knew it would be a trip with indulgences. But I didn’t want to go overboard. So, before we boarded the plane, I asked my fellow key lime lovers if we could share the first slice of any pie we tried. If one of us found one we truly loved, we could go back and have a second slice. It was a deal.

Even though I had done my research in advance, I was surprised at how varied the different pies could be. The first one we tried, at the Blonde Giraffe, was extremely tart. This version had a few fat squiggles of whipped cream on top. Not much of a crust. You could also try their dark chocolate drizzled version. Gotta say I felt like an amateur when the extreme tart made me wince. We got two slices and neither were finished between three of us sampling.

Thankfully, things improved from there. Each slice was different. We worked to become key lime connoisseurs. How tart? How sweet? What about the crust? Whipped cream or meringue on top? A couple of slices almost had the consistency of ice cream.

Which brings to mind the many other key lime items we tried. Key lime ice cream. Key lime taffy. Key lime cocktails for the drinkers, complete with a graham cracker crust rim. I read about key lime french toast but we didn’t make it to that place. Key lime pastries. Each unique.

We didn’t settle on a clear winner. But we all had fun sampling along the way and weighing out our choices. As for me, I favor somewhat tart custard (and don’t mind if it’s almost like a frozen pie.) I am a sucker for a thick graham cracker crust. And whipped cream beats meringue, but not by much.

Funny side note…when we first made the plan to go to the keys, my key lime-loving friends and I looked for a key lime crawl. Even with all the bar tours and tiki boats, we couldn’t find one. So, of course, we made our own unofficial one. Next time you’re traveling, make your own unofficial tour of a local food, drink, or whatever you all enjoy! New Orleans? Gumbo (or Po’ Boy, or beignet, or hurricane, or so many other things) crawl. Philadelphia? Cheesesteak crawl. The only limit is your imagination. Share ’em, score ’em, debate the merits and pick your faves. A great way to dive in to local culture, cuisine, and add a bit of fun to your next adventure.

adventure

NYC The Last Hump

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The whirlwind trip had come to an end. The final leg of trip was in sight. The plane ride home was the last hump. Sounds simple right?

11 pm flight becomes midnight. Then it shifts to 2am. Then it’s cancelled. Gone from the radar. Good thing each of had some frequent flyer miles sitting idle with Delta. Now we are booked on the 6 am Delta flight. Sounds amazing but the adventure is just beginning.

The airport closes at 11 pm. That means if you are not in the terminal you are kind of left in a pickle. For us, we made it an adventure of sorts. We entered through the one open door by ticketing. We had a cleansing party in the empty restroom with a pack of cucumber wipes. That was a freshening up we all needed after a day in the dirty city!

We shifted to charging our cell phones, watches and laptops. Each of us perched by a different column or by an elevator with outlets. It was peaceful yet eerie at the same time. Clearly we were on the floor and lucky for us it was just cleaned! We saw a handful of passengers exit off flights that either arrived late or the weary stranded travelers opted for a night in a hotel. We talked with security guards that passed us by with oen eyebrow lifted. We giggled with workers coming in for the new shift. It was a different way to experience the airport in a big city. The calm before the chaos of a new day. An unexpected excursion.

We were invited to be the first ones through security at 3 am. I think they were tired of us loitering. That came with some interesting conversations at the security point. We snagged a few quick photos that we may never get again. See above and below. We enjoyed the open space and the freedom to stroll through the airport as if it was just for us!

We dozed off on the floor of our gate for what seemed like hours but were really minutes at best. We snacked. We giggled. We recapped the trip to the city. We planned breakfast for the next day. We chatted about the same three snacks Delta gives on each flight. Before you knew it, we were ready to board. I slept on the plane so I have no idea how the flight was.

I loved every minute of my time in the empty airport. I felt like it was my own private airport for a few hours. Just out here living my best life full of unexpected adventures.

Until next time or until the next destination post surfaces. Wondering where the next spot will be? Maybe a warm climate. Maybe a remote desert? Guess the story isn’t written yet.