Half-Pint

I was not intending to get up and write on here first thing this morning. Something has been weighing on my mind lately, and perhaps it is just because I am feeling worn out and just tired. I feel like I am living to work these days and not working to live. I love what I do for a job, helping restore people's sight is a wonderful reason to get up in the morning. But with the amount of on-call, coordination and regular work I am just losing steam. I know I am getting worn out because I am getting sick more often and I usually have an immune system like a tank. But what do you do? When does a job go from simply work to something you enjoy and look forward to? I am so envious of people that just LOVE their jobs, they enjoy going to work every day. I have not had that in many years. The best job I ever had was when I was working at a cell phone company call center. It allowed me to stretch my imagination, move around throughout the company and challenge myself in new roles. U...

Ever have one of those days that you are surrounded by people yet feel completely alone, like you are observing life instead of living?! The house is full of people, yet nobody's home. everybody's here and I'm all alone calling out your name, but there's no answer. Perhaps it's the weather, kind of gray and rainy, a stay in bed kind of day. It is actually put me in a mood to write again. There have been bits-n-pieces of my poems swirling around my brain lately.

In one word that is how I would describe how I felt taking the ice for skills practice today. Not excited, nervous or scared, just plain petrified. My knees were literally shaking. I have never been in that type of situation in relation to an athletic adventure before. When I initially looked at the breakdown of individuals in my group for the skills clinics I was nervous because most of the names I did not recognize. I had gotten so used to certain faces on the ice each week it was hard to believe that was an entirely different group that would be out there. So once again I found myself trying to look for friendly faces only to find more apprehension in their own. Fortunately, when the first group was done Tim sat next to me and shared that he felt the same way when he started. It was nice to know that others have felt the same as I was today. But once we hit the ice it was a completely different ball game. I went from petrified to humbled very quickly. The skills I thought I had a h...

I thought today was going to be a great day, having the drive out to Sauk for the magazine shoot, which went really well..then some hockey and ending the day with work. Once I got back to Madison I was really looking forward to hockey. But, since it was game day downtown was NUTS! I could not find a place to park and got so frustrated after 1/2 hour I ended up driving back home. I think that set the tone for the rest of the day because I just feel kind of blah! Not in the mood to do much, nor am I all together happy today..just blah!

Have you ever heard the saying that people come into your life for a reason, season or a lifetime? I think I have had a lot of that happening lately, sort of fate smackin you in the face with something. With the Aids Ride and now Hockey I feel that I have met some pretty special people, and it feels like I met them when I was supposed to met them. Does that make any sense? Here is an example. I am enjoying the "budding photographer" title now, wrapping my arms around a fun hobby that I would love to turn into something a little more. So a girl at work asks me one day to shoot her wedding next year. Um, are you sure? Was my reply. But I did say yes! The next incident was meeting Patrick on the hockey team. He is a super sweet guy that seems to have some strong business sense. While we were hanging out on Saturday night he was telling me about a magazine that he has just started up. The first of it's kind that has no alcohol or sex ads in them! Anyway, the magazine is ca...

Most people that have known me for a while have learned that I have parents slightly older than most. My father is going on 73, and mom turns 60 tomorrow (Happy Birthday Mom!) Over the years I have come to understand that eventually they will age, and I will begin to worry about their health or their well being. I can already see this happening as they make certain purchases and decide to call me first or they call to ask my opinion. I was also reminded of this when almost 2 years ago I had to take an emergency flight to Pensacola Fl. where my dad was going to have a quadruple bypass. So, this morning while I get a phone call from my mom.. she said "I don't suppose your dad told you I fell yesterday." Now you would have to know my mom to understand why this scared me a little bit. 1. Mom is one of the healthiest people I know. She has taken vitamins most of my life, and she is just usually healthy- never sick 2. She has only been "injured" 1 time that I can ...

What makes two people enter into a relationship? And for that matter what makes them stay in it? How do you have people that have been together or married for decades? Even my own parents are celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary. So what is that key, the glue that keeps these people together while others can't seem to last long enough to meet the family?! Is it that couples start learning everything about each other and no longer share any new or exciting experiences? Or perhaps the goals have shifted from thinking of a way to impress your partner and now everyone is so tired at the end of the day its just time to go to bed...for sleep. How do you keep that flirtation feeling? How do you start to re-appreciate your partner and those qualities that made you fall in love in the first place. I think the best answer that I have found..you have got to work at it. Being in a relationship is not easy, and there might be times that you wonder what you are doing..if you are still h...

I know you are singing the song right?! ha! Every now and then I like to just do some things by myself. "Jenn time" as I call it, perhaps its from being an only child and I learned to have a creative imagination because I was always with adults or just used to having my own space. But my time alone is almost as important as time spent with those that I love. So I think I am going on a date with myself at some point this weekend, dinner (Pho) and a movie (new Jodie Foster flick... The Brave One ) It really doesn't get any better let me tell ya! Quiet time to reflect on life and things going on in life is so important. I don't think we as a society ever find enough time to reflect. We are so busy trying to get from point A to point B faster, more efficiently that we do not stop to observe the moments that are happening around us each day. And before you know it, the moment has passed you by.

I am so excited it's Friday! I am a little upset about the fact that I will be working 930-6pm every Friday this month however, it's better than working later that's for sure! I don't have a ton planned for the weekend although time seems to slip away faster on Saturday or Sunday than any other day during the week. But I am looking forward to our Stick Taping Party on Sunday. This is our last event (or first one depending on how you look at it) before next Sunday our skills clinics start. Should be great! I am trying to find some time to go for Pho this weekend as well..looking for a good excuse to get out to the west side..might not be that tough tomorrow. TGIF...make it a good one.

okay I know that is it somewhat silly that I would be posting something about being able to stop on the ice but I am very excited tonight. I came prepared, wearing some running pants with my shin guards underneath. It began with some direction from my fellow team members on sliding this foot and sliding that one, attempting to figure out which foot should be my anchor skate. After some initial reluctant tries, and of course some spills..I was able to get a stop out..then another..and soon I was going all around the rink stopping on each line. Now, you won't see the huge arch of ice as I stop quickly..and there might be a slight wobble..but I can at least stop!! And after our ice time, I got a a couple of hugs from some great guys and that ended my night wonderfully! I think people are right, this is a great group of people!!

Typical day of course..a "honey-do-list" that needed to be finished...but then I got a call from Loni to go up to grandpa and grandma's to see Hunter and Kelsey. With an offer like that how can one refuse?!  Anyway, we brought the kids a ton of clothes for school which they were pretty excited about. We had a ball up there as usual, in fact grandpa was quite sassy!! Once we got home it was time to head off to the ice rink for some hockey skating. It was a date for Meet the MGHA at the Shell. I asked Loni to come along, figuring that either she wouldn't come at all, or would not really want to skate. Boy was I wrong! I knew she had not been ice skating so this would be a new experience for her, and I am so new to skating myself I figured we would never get around the rink. She was a natural, and even was helping me learn how to skate backwards. I think we have a new hockey player once she is done with school!! Anyway, off to do some of my list..suppose I should try t...

Today when I turned on the news I saw that Luciano Pavarotti died this morning. Now I am not a big opera fan - but what caught my eye was that he had pancreatic cancer. Ironically, 13 years ago Sept 17th I lost one of my greatest mentors in life to pancreatic cancer. Jon Houseward was one of the best men I have ever known and I never realized how much of an impact he would have on my life. House, as we called him , and I met my freshman year in high school as I tried out for the track team. He was the head coach for the team and my first impression of him was this very tall guy, with no hair and a wonderful smile. He knew just how to push me, knowing just what to say and when to say it. At track meets he would be found running around the track, end to end cheering on his runners. If the weather was bad he was always in his full yellow slicker, you could spot him and his clipboard anywhere. No matter how a runner did, he was the first one at the finish line with his arm wrapped around...

I am very proud of myself. I said I was going to go, and I showed up and skated the ice for the full hour. I do have a blister on my foot to prove it but I stayed in the upright position the entire time! Anyway, that is my way to go for the week!! I was able to go out last Thursday with my mentor to get all of my gear and was surprised and touched by the generous donation of gear some other gals had donated to us. It was very nice, both as a new player and financially to be able to afford the amount of gear needed. Hockey, like cycling, is not a cheap sport. I am quite proud of the way that MGHA has worked to keep our costs as low as they can possibly be.  So on the list of things that I am shocked that I have done or my "moments" Join the Army and survive basic Complete Act 5 Aids Ride Get on the ice Getting my new photography business up and running Making family out of friends I am proud of each one of these things, the Act ride, and Hockey have come along at the ...