it's all in how you say it...

I had an experience at work a couple weeks ago which has stayed with me.

I had a table of 3 come in to eat and I took their order, brought them their food when it was ready, checked in on them a couple times. All seemed fine...UNTIL she came up to pay and complained with quite a bit of anger. She felt I had been "abrupt with a rude tone" when I was taking their order, which I of course was by no means trying to be. I tried to apologize, which she did not seem to want to hear at all from me. I found myself getting more upset due to her tone and manner. I started to tear up

(which is not normal for me, but I was a bit PMS'y)

at which point she got even angrier and said "see you are getting upset right now" which implied I had been upset or moody before. Just for the record I was having a great day and was not in a bad mood like she thought. Of course I am going to get upset when someone is face on attacking me and what I believe to be my character. I can only guess that my tone when taking their order had been non- friendly to them for some reason, but what I find interesting in retrospect is how abrasive her tone was when talking to me. It was like she felt justified in being so rude and confrontative as in her mind I had treated her that way.

After she left I asked my co-worker her opinion upon the whole exchange & she felt I had been sincere with my apology. She felt that I had made every attempt to pacify & please this guest and made the comment that "come on it is just food!"

Agreed!

So, since then I have listened with more awareness to not only my tone, but those within customer service in my daily life. I think as a whole we expect so much from the people who wait on us, be it at the store or a restaurant. Take a moment to reflect on the fact that they are people also. Yes, they are there to do a service, but remember they are people too. I would bet that if you give them a smile or polite word they will return the favor!

40 things...

So, I'm making a list of 40 things I want to accomplish in my 40th year.

I figure I am starting a new era so i should kick it off with a bang!

I am taking suggestions on things to put on the list as I am stalled out at 25....feel free to give me ideas!

To give you perspective I have put my top 10 below...

1. Zip line

2. go to a museum & see a major work of art (Van Gogh, Degas etc)

3. try stand up paddling

4. Hike all of the trails listed in the Day Hikes of SLO Co. book

5. reach my goal weight (1/3 of the way there!)

6. Finally make that trip to Catalina with my bestie

7. travel to any of the cities on my "want to see" list

8. ride a horse

9. pay off my credit card

10. read all the books in my TBR pile

and what would you do?

so big can be sexy, but is it healthy?

Found this blog :

http://myfitspiration.com/2011/09/is-big-really-sexy/

to be interesting as I was told about this show by a friend and after watching 3 episode so far I am torn on how I feel about the show as a whole.

I am working very hard at being a healthier version of myself and I do worry for the extra weight that the woman are carrying & how it can affect their health.

At first I thought they all seemed so comfortable with their bodies, but I will say after watching multiple episodes they all seem to have some self esteem issues just like most women.

In a episode where there was a fashion show, more than one of the women had problems with being seen in a swimsuit on the catwalk.

I think as women we have things we love & hate about our body at any size. I always hear from friends how much they will love their body when they lose weight, yet when they get to their goal they find that they are still not satisfied.

I am working with learning to love my body at the size it is while making it a smaller, healthier body. I want my body to be a strong one, able to let me do more and life longer, losing weight will enable me to do this, which is why I am working so hard.

I will never be a small girl, I have always been of the curvy variety & have no shame in liking that for myself. What I want is to be more athletic, strong, and confident with a lighter step!

I do love though that there are shows on TV that show women of a larger size to show everyone that there is beauty in all sizes!

feed my soul

So, I just got to spend a few days with some of my favorite people. This included happy hour with some fab friends from hs, two 40th birthday parties and some quality time time with my mommas!

It was my bestie's 40th birthday so we had a super fun Caribbean party to celebrate. I just loved getting some quality time to celebrate our friendship and her birthday.

hhhmmmm

It's been a while since I used this blog. Mostly because I was busy, but also I completely forgot what email etc I used to set it up and had to use some brain power to get back to it! Hope to get back in the swing of it and update you on my progress with my health...and changes of late in my life.
For now I am beat from a busy shift at work and ready for some sleep before the gym tomorrow am!

a time for celebration?

So, after a quiet day off yesterday recuperating from my bout with strep throat I logged onto my computer to find people celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden.

Now, while I freely admit this was an evil man who in his lifetime did commit countless atrocities against humanity it still pains me to see people celebrating any ones death with such glee.

I feel sad that I saw an image posted on FB last eve of our Statue of Liberty holding a bleeding head of Osama rather than a torch. I feel pride in our military for the brave fight the soldiers have been in and yet I know this is by no means an end to the war within our lives.

I wish for peace, hope for understanding and bless all of those who lost their lives.

it's the little things...

I feel many of us take for granted the simplest of things within our lives.

Food in our fridge, clothes upon our back and the roof over our heads.

I saw a homeless man be helped by a simple gift today and it made me even more appreciative of the basics for which I have each day.

I was shopping at the local Hospice Thrift Store here in SLO for non essential bargains for myself when a man walked in asking about what facilities were offered in SLO for the homeless.

He was tall, but walked slightly hunched like he was trying to not be noticed. I heard him ask about any food programs and assisted the woman he was talking to in directing him to the Prado Day Center which does a daily lunch. It was at this point that I noticed he had no shoes, and he asked the woman who worked there if they gave out clothes or shoes at Prado. She asked him what size he wore and walked with him over to their shoe area. I was touched to watch her help him try on a couple different pairs of shoes. After he had found a pair that fit she told him they were on the house and wished him well in his travels. He walked out of that store with a straighter posture and a small smile upon his face. Sometimes the smallest kindness can make a difference within a person's day or life.

I know it made me even more thankful for the small things I have...as the saying goes

"there for the grace of God go I"

regardless of what beliefs you might have we can all relate to the sentiment that just one quirk of fate could change our situation. In today's economy it is even easier to find yourself struggling. I know that due to the amazing family & friends I have I would never be out on the streets and for that I am most thankful.

Take a moment today to appreciate all of the small things and let go of some of the stress of trying to keep up in our crazy world!

best trip ever

I came back from the most amazing vacation ever to work 8 days in a row. Can I complain about this much though really? I got to touch a whale....I mean really how very amazingly cool is that?

I had 5 glorious days off, at least 1/2 of that felt like it was spent in the car ~ haha.

If you ever get the chance to go to Baja and do this excursion it is worth it on so many levels.

aaahhhh, I just look at the pics and relax...

oops...

So, it's been a couple weeks since I posted an entry on this lil blog, shame on me!

Well, I didn't get selected for the challenge at the gym, but I liked the people there so much that I paid for a membership and 6 personal training sessions.

I worked out for a short bit this am, but didn't do as intense of a workout as I hope to be getting into as I had errands to accomplish before work.

I am excited though as for the first time in a long time I feel that this is being done for the right reasons and the people there are super friendly.


"It is never too late to be what you might have been." ~George Eliot

uuuggghhh

Still feeling a bit under the weather and kind of mad about it as it is keeping me from staying on track with my exercise. Trying to take it easy so I can recover, but also not get completely off track.

I have my interview for the Transformation Challenge today at 2pm.

Hoping it goes well...and of course will announce what happens here when I find out more.

xoxox

motivation where are you?

I seem to have lost some motivation this week...and trying hard to get back into my groove.

I overdid everything last week with work and helping friends, oh just life in general.

I am feeling run down and a little under the weather, which of course makes me not want to do anything exercise wise.

I only did 20 minutes of yoga yesterday and feel a bit guilty!

Today is a gorgeous sunny day so I think I am going to get out and do a hike.

Hopefully I can push through the negative feelings I have at the moment...

On a side note in an effort to push myself I entered for a Transformation Challenge at a local gym. If I were to be selected as one of 3 I would receive a battery of tests before & after the 12 week period, a gym membership & training 3 times a week and a weight watcher's membership for that period also.

It is a big opportunity if I were to participate in it I know my competitive nature would kick in for sure...and give me a big push!

So, wish me luck...

an award, for lil ole me....aw!

So, there is this thing going around within the blogosphere...

and the lovely Sarah

(http://bloggingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/2011/02/im-stylish.html)

whom I met through the super fun BookCrossing.com site has given me this cool award.

I love it as it makes me feel as if I might actually be a honest to goodness blogger after 2 years of pouring my thoughts out into the big wide web.

so according to the rules I now must tell you 7 things about me....

1. I am a die hard Vikings fan and will remain that in spite of the seriously bad time people might give me for it.

2. I own only 13 pairs of shoes, not very girlie in that manner.

3. I have lived in 3 states, but will always call California my heart.

4. I went to the same high school & worked at the same job as Denise Richards.

5. I adore anything Joss Whedon has a hand in.

6. The first rated R movie I ever saw was "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" shame on my mom, eh?

7. In recent months I have become addicted to yoga.

So, now I am to pass it along to 10 bloggers. I only have a few that I follow on a regular basis and 2 of them just did this SO...

a family member who has a fun blog to keep us all updated on the joys of their family lifehttp://jnkkok.blogspot.com/

my bestie who started one and may this encourage her to write more

http://dreena-barefootthoughts.blogspot.com/

and a fun blog on shoes

http://highheelreveal.blogspot.com/

music to yoga by...or just have a moment of peace

So, my friend Stephanie is ever so much better at this whole blogging thing than me, but she constantly gives me support and a ton of inspiration!

Consider this your shout out from me, my dear!

Her blogging is what got me started back in 2009 with the very blog you are currently reading.

At the moment she is writing about some of her favorite love songs in honor of that lovely holiday that is Valentine's Day.
http://djstephaniebell.wordpress.com/

I completely adored her first choice

(Depeche Mode's In Your Room)

I have been listening to quite a variety of music lately, as always it depends heavily upon my mood or actions at the time.

In part of my trying to get into better health I have been doing a bit of yoga each day to relax and usually put on a bit of music to have as background noise which is mellow & reflective.

A fave right now is a folk trio whom I adore & have seen about 3 times now in various places, The Wailin' Jennys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it73sIt4Vjs

Their song One Voice is their version of a peace song & just makes me happy to hear.

Another classic song in the yoga mix is John Lennon's Imagine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xB4dbdNSXY

Then there is this version of Mad World which was originally done by Tears for Fears, but I love this version by Gary Jules ever so much more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYY-a0_Bb9Y&feature=fvw

Then there is this one from Nirvana The Man Who Sold The World which was originally a David Bowie song, but something about how Kurt Cobain sang it just resonates with me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fregObNcHC8&feature=channel

There are of course many great songs out there, but these are a few of my favorites and I hope that they give you a moment of reflection as they do me!

special

There are some people within my life that are very special to me and make my world a better place just by being a part of it.

I had a phone conversation with one of these people last evening, my bestie.

We have been friends for 30 years and over that time have been through so very much.

As with any friendships we have had exceptionally great times, but also some horribly bad ones.

We had one of those bad periods back in 2009, during which I had doubts we would ever get back to where we had once been.

Some of what happened is just normal changes within a friendship due to people living in different places, having lives headed in opposite directions, but some of it was a lack of trust in each other.

Our phone convo last night started off just doing a little catch up on our previous few days, but turned into a bit of minor friendship therapy!

Honestly do not remember the last time I cried & laughed so much in the same time period.

Other friends of mine, while being quite close to me, have a hard time understanding exactly what we have been through. To be honest sometimes it is hard for me to even grasp.

It is hard to explain how this person has become so enmeshed in my life. We shared many important moments, school, dating, kids, love & loss.

She is the sister of my heart and while we might have fights are disagreements we will always have a place in each others lives.

the great outdoors

***I wrote this blog and later added the pics, sorry for any confusion that might cause!***

During the past month I been trying to get out and explore the wonders of SLO county. I have lived here for the past 15 years and feel as if there is so much I have not seen. We tend to get complacent and go to our same fave places. I challenged myself to go do a new hike or walk each week. So, I started with the Johnson Ranch trail just off the 101 between SLO & Avila.

(the picture with the water bottle is from there)

Simply gorgeous!

The next stop was Irish Hills in SLO over near Costco.

This one lives up to the hill part of it's name! this was a good workout with amazing views overlooking our gorgeous little city. There are multiple trails here so I can go back and explore even more, which I am looking forward to!

(third picture)

I also have done a few walks at Laguna Lake in the past couple of months, which is not a new spot for me, but still a pretty place to enjoy.

(second pic)

Lastly again this one is not new, but since I no longer live in Avila I have to get my fix by going and walking at the Bob Jones trail...just soothing!

(first pic)

This is me on a hike here in my lovely neck of the woods. I rarely am the focus of a picture as I am usually the photographer

(and not gonna lie I like it that way)

I joined a friend of mine from book club on a hike with her meetup.com group yesterday.

It was a fun way to get some exercise AND meet some new peeps!!!

Consider this lil pic my latest update to my health...

I am happy with my progress so far, 22 pounds since I started late last spring. I had hit a plateau after losing the first 17 pounds...went 3 months last fall where I didn't lose anything.

Though to be positive I did not gain either!

I made myself a "plan" to follow for this year to hit my goal as my total goal of health & weight loss is to lose 108 pounds total from my start weight.

I have 86 pounds to go in 34 weeks.

That is a rate of about 2.5 pounds a week....we shall see if I hit it on time, but I will be happy with a continued loss and feeling healthier!

err on the side of caution

wow

Just got home from an all day baby shower for an old friend.

I drank a few glasses of wine between noon and 9pm, but since I had

eaten and stopped drinking in the last hour I felt good to drive.

Now let me preface this by saying I am the girl who doesn't drive after having one drink usually.

I feel that a DUI is just silly to receive as I value my life & others way too much to risk it, besides it being exceptionally expensive!

Well, I got on the freeway to drive home, played with my stereo and reached over for my water when the lights of a highway patrolman flashed behind me.

I was asked for my license and asked a number of questions in regards to where I had been and the amount of alcohol I had consumed.

I was honest about it all as I felt safe enough in my sobriety.

Then he gave me a series of tests at which point it appeared as if I was worse off than I was

(my balance sucks big time & following a black pen in the dark is not so easy)

so he asked me to blow into the breathalyzer.

Now at this point I started to think perhaps I was not as good as I thought I might be?

I asked if I had to take it and he informed me that if I did not it would go by his judgement and he erred on the side of caution.

I still felt as if I would be good and thus choose to take it.

I blew a .04 (which is below the legal limit)

that made it so I could get away with a warning, but it scared me to think it could have even been a factor. I was also told by this very nice (not bad looking CHP man) that if you are pulled over and blow over a .05 you can be arrested for drunk driving. *

I can only tell you that for me personally this was a wake up call to re-enforce my stance on not driving after consuming more than one drink.

In addition I intend to focus on my solely on driving, no drinking, eating, playing

with the stereo or phone while in the car!

*

•DUI — driving under the influence of alcohol — is a serious offense in California, with criminal penalties and drastic consequences. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08%, but you can also be charged regardless of blood alcohol amount if the police can prove you were affected by the alcohol. (And remember, regardless of DUI offences, in the US the legal drinking age is 21).

on it..

I have now worked out each day for 8 days in a row.

Got to say this whole getting healthy thing is starting to get a little bit easier.

trying to mix it up each day, but sticking with yoga each day as it is vastly helping my back.

So, far in my first week of actively being aggressive with exercise I only lost a pound...but hey that is a pound!

Got to focus on the positive stuff right?

goals..

I am slowly getting back on track with my diet and exercise after the holidays

(and being sick for over a week)

slowly though...

I bought a couple new pieces of furniture, which in turn meant doing some serious cleaning & furniture re-arranging yesterday. I felt that since I did 3 loads of laundry, which meant 6 trips up and down my stairs, and this cleaning that could serve as exercise for the day.

Thinking I am glad I didn't do more as I am sore from all that lifting today.

Tomorrow it is yoga & zumba once more.

I have a goal to hit by the end of the month & won't get there by sitting on my couch watching tv.

fun times

Had a fabulously fun weekend with some old friends, some of whom I haven't seen in years.

Got to catch up, take pics and share memories.

Back to the real world today with work & errands, though I did some fun shopping also.

Found a store recently that has adorable stuff and sadly it is closing.

however the closing means a SALE (woohoo) at which I splurged a bit.

Got a neat corner bookcase which will necessitate doing some serious furniture re-arranging on my day off tomorrow in between loads of laundry.

This is my idea of fun though, nesting and organizing my home.

goals

Watching "I Used to be fat" on MTV at the moment.

It is actually kind of motivating, lol.

I also put a calendar on the wall in my bedroom this am to stare at each day to remind me of my goals.

Each month I put my "goal" weight for the month and also a goal food or exercise wise.

This months is to work out 3 times a week in some manner for 30-60 minutes.

I'll be keeping the numbers to myself as I am not willing to admit that as of yet...maybe when I meet my first big goal I'll share just where I started at....maybe!

Thanks for the support and love

honesty...

OK, I am really putting myself out there with this one.

This is a picture I took back in the summertime (7-10)

When I started really pushing to lose weight and make serious changes to my health.

The past year have brought mental changes to how I look at myself and my struggle with weight. I needed to let go of the idea of a perfect body and look at this as a battle for my long term health.

I don't want to enter into my 40's overweight.

So, as part of my goal I am going to post a picture of my start even though

it scares me to really bare it all!

Each time I lose 25 pounds I will put on that same super flattering ensemble and share with you my lovely followers my accomplishments!

Going into this in a positive manner...I will succeed : )

however feel free to send me good vibes and love in my journey!

new year, new intentions

Starting off the new year with an intestinal bug of some sort that is kicking my butt in a big way. I am tired of the ever so bland diet I have been on this week...bananas, bread and lots of water. BORING

On the plus side I lost 5 pounds in the last couple of days, ha ha.

I had a mellow NYE in with a couple of girlfriends, a small amount of champers right at midnight to cheers. Other than that my night was alcohol free due to this tummy issue.

It appears that if I put in anything my angry lil tummy doesn't like it lets me now ASAP.

Thus I am being super careful about my choices...and as much as I wanted that champers & brie I was good and had none.

boo hiss

Here is a wish that you all have the best year

much love and blessings my friends