Quick (sort of) Update

Since I decided to some up with some goals for the week (AND post them to this blog), I must admit that I've felt more focused, just a day after coming up with and posting my weekly goals. I was starting to feel a little stressed and frustrated about how busy this month is turning out to be, and I think I was feeling worn down and a little out of control, at least as far as my schedule was concerned. Ever felt like your schedule was controlling you instead of you controlling your schedule? I was feeling a hint of that.

Goal setting is such a basic thing, and I've done it before, of course, but it's been a while since I've done it for my general life and made the goals public. I have my work goals, of course, as part of my annual evaluation. I have running goals when it comes to participating in road races. I have general ideas in my mind of where I want to go in my life, and sometimes I'll talk with George or others about my goals and dreams. Somehow, though, writing goals down, especially for others--strangers in the blogosphere to see, even, takes them to a different level.

One thing that spurred me to do this was something Scott Smith said on one of his podcasts, either "The Motivation to Move" or "The Daily Boost." (I subscribe to both through iTunes and listen on my iPod.) On the shows, he often asks, "Have you done your homework?" On one recent episode, it really hit home when he asked that question, and talked about doing something weekly toward your bigger, life goals. (I've heard him ask that question any number of times, but it made an impression this time.)

I've made some progress on my goals already, eventhough it's just been a day. I've lost .4 of a pound so far , read several pages in a book I'm working on finishing next, run 7.25 miles so far this running week, and got into bed at 11:01 PM last night. All of that, in addition to work and a meeting last night.

In reality, there are many more goals I could've added to this week's goals list, but I figured I'd set up a short list and see how things go. There can be a fine line between a goal list and a to-do list. My to-do list wouldn't be so entertaining, and there are other venues for that.

While I've got goals on the brain, I've done a couple of things podcast-related. I mentioned that I set up a blog as a placeholder for show notes down the road. Well, I did it here on Blogger, and I learned yesterday that it was tagged and blocked as possible spam, so I had to type in a password-thingy to have it reviewed. Sheesh. I'm not sure why a URL called goingtheextramileopodcast.blogspot.com sounds spam-like. We'll see that the Blogger powers-that-be say.

Meanwhile, I've signed up for a podcast account at podbean.com, and my url is http://goingtheextramile.podbean.com. Since "Going the Extra Mile" is the name of my blog about my personal journey of running, weight loss, and better health, I thought it would be a good name for a podcast too. I'm still a while away from starting a podcast, but it feels good to get started.

Goals for the Week

I've decided to start something new, having goals for each week and posting them here. I'll also post my progress (or lack thereof), either along the way or at the end of the week.

My goals for this week:

1) Lose 2 lbs. (I'll start with my weigh-in this morning, and no, I'm not sharing!)

2) Get in bed by 11:00 each night through Friday. (I'm tired of complaining about being tired!)

3) Enter at least 5 new names into my genealogy database. (I have so much info to enter, and I want to get back into it.)

4) Finish at least one book. (I have so many books checked out of the library that my shelves are overflowing. I've started several of them and am ready for some closure.)

5) Run at least 21 miles this week. (Last week I dipped under 20 miles for the week, and want to catch back up.)

Busy Month

Why does October always seem so busy?! It's one of my favorite months of the year, and it seems like it's been a really busy month for me the past few years.

This past week, for example, I had commitments Monday through Wednesday nights, plus I helped with two training sessions at work. Friday night, George had another overnight test at a sleep clinic. Yesterday I worked my shift at the Junior League's Bargain Sale, then tried to get a long run in, but didn't make it very far. This morning, I attempted another long run before I had to go to church, where I'd signed up to be an evaluator for the second service.

This coming week, I have commitments Monday through Thursday nights, plus I'm signed up for a 5K road race on Saturday morning.

George and I are taking vacation the last week of October, so we need to finish planning that soon! Boy, am I looking forward to the vacation!

Me? A Podcaster?

This afternoon I started pondering what it would take to put together a podcast. Things that came to mind included:

1) Something to talk about
2) Equipment (and how to work it)
3) A website for show notes
4) A home computer with internet access

I have the last two taken care of now, as I just created a placeholder for show notes here on Blogger, and I've got the computer with internet access up and running now.

The first two items on the list have given me more to think about, and research, and think about some more. It's fun to think about, but makes me a little nervous too. :) This feels like a good challenge, whether I get any listeners or not!

Stay tuned!

Garrison Keillor in Raleigh

Thanks to a Twitter update fron Ginny, George and I headed to Raleigh this afternoon to hear Garrison Keillor talk at the McKimmon Center. We stopped by Quail Ridge Books first to buy our tickets, then got to the venue nice and early.

Keillor, of "Prairie Home Companion" fame, has a new book out called Liberty, and while this was a book promotion, he didn't talk much about his book. He talked for about 50 minutes or so about all sorts of things, and was very entertaining. He even sang some during his talk, and seemed to refer very little to his notes.

After the talk, he entertained a number of questions (including one from George), then stayed to sign books. I'd bought his book, Love Me, before the talk started in hopes of getting the book signed, but it turned out it was going to take a while, so I decided to pass. Looking on the Barnes and Noble, it doesn't look like my choice of Garrison Keelor books is very good. Oh well. I still enjoyed the talk alot!

10 on Tuesday: 10 Great Things That Happened This Summer

Here are my answers to a new meme (the 10 on Tuesday that I do sometimes). I enjoyed coming up with this list (in no particular order, by the way); it's a really nice recap of my summer.


1) My department moved to another building, and I really like the new building and location (better than I thought I would)!
2) The Olympics--I especially enjoyed watching the swimmers (especially Torres and Phelps)and the runners (especially the men's and women's marathon finishes). I had a hard time staying awake for most of the gymnastics events, and could've done with less volleyball, but all in all, I really enjoyed watching the Olympics this summer.
3) I joined the Galloway training group and started training for a half marathon.
4) I ran/walked 15 miles one Saturday morning with the Galloway group. This is the farthest I've ever gone.
5) My parents and sister visited ERUUF one Sunday when I was the worship associate, and they got to hear me speak.
6) I finally got to visit Merchants Millpond State Park.
7) I was interviewed by two different Korean news teams doing separate documentaries on the health benefits on eating rice.
8) George and I celebrated our first year of living together and renewed our apartment lease.
9) George and I took a vacation to Winston-Salem, enjoyed being a tourist there, and visited with several friends and a cousin.
10) George and I also visited Oxford and Roxboro together on daytrips as part of my NC Odyssey Project. We do make good travel buddies; maybe we should sign up for "The Amazing Race!"


Okay, so what would make YOUR list of 10 great things that happened this summer? :-D

Finding My Way

I found myself at an Evening Prayer service at St. Joseph's Episcopal Church this evening after work, and it was pretty comforting after the day I had. It wasn't the worst day, but not the best either.

I may have mentioned a while back that I applied for a Master Trainer position with the State Library of North Carolina. 16 people were selected, and I learned via email earlier this week that I didn't make the cut. The rejection email offered application feedback, so I decided to take advantage of that. I made an appointment for a phone conversation, and that happened this morning. She gave valuable feedback, for sure, and I feel like her advice will come in handy in the future. I'm just a bit dissapointed. It does have me thinking about what to tackle next, though! I'm not sure which way to go yet, but I don't feel rudderless. I have some good possibilities I'm mulling over, none of which involves moving, changing jobs, or anything like that.

After lunch, I went to a memorial service at the library for a coworker who passed away from cancer a few months ago. I didn't know her very well, but those who did thought very highly of her. I was intrigued, in a morbid way, to learn more about her life. I was really touched by what some of her coworkers had to say about her, I got rather teary-eyed. If I'd known her better, I probably would've been blubbering away. On the way back to my building, it had me thinking (again) about the direction of my life, and which direction I want to go next. I have some things going on, both professionally (mostly training right now) and personally (the half marathon and Junior League are the biggest visible things at the moment). What's next? There are some interesting possibilities out there, but for another blog post.

It seemed eerily appropriate, then, that after the Evening Prayer service at St. Joe's, that a lady I met afterward (who's a Vestry member) gave me a nice canvas bag with the words, "Finding the Way Together" across the front, in addition to the church's name and contact information.

I didn't take it as a sign that I should join this church or anything like that (I'm happy at ERUUF, after all), but I must say that I did enjoy the responsive reading during the 15-minute service, and especially the fellowship afterward, as the people in attendance (uh, 10 or so, not many at all!) shook everyone else's hand in peace and hung around talking for a few minutes. It was all very charming and comforting. As it happens, that church holds Evening Prayer Monday through Friday, and it's about 5 minutes from work, so maybe I'll stop back in on occasion.

10 on Tuesday-10 Simple Things That Make You Happy

Here's another meme from the weekly "10 on Tueday" email I receive, and it's a nice one to think about on a rainy Tuesday!

Here's a list of 10 simple things that make me happy. They're the first things that crossed my mind. Now that my brain is cranking, I keep thinking of more (not a bad thing)! These are in no particular order (although hugs and kisses from George remain high on the list on any given day, not just on Tuesdays!):

Hugs and kisses from George
Rainbows
A good book
A fire in the fireplace
Hot chocolate with marshmallows
A handwritten letter in the mailbox
A good run outdoors
Running a personal best time at a road race
Being in the mountains
The smell of cinnamon-apple cider simmering on the stove


Okay, so what makes your list of 10 simple things that make you happy?

If I Want to Write...

I came across a current printing of the title If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit, by Barbara Ueland, on the processing shelves of our department earlier today, and it piqued my interest. It looks like a classic of sorts for writers, or at least writer wannabees. Since I've wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, (and here I am with a handful of blogs, which I enjoy writing!), I decided to put a hold on this book, for when it makes its way through cataloging and processing to the circulation desk at the library.

What would I want to write? Aside from the Great American Novel, you mean? I've thought about writing a book about my family tree/history. (I imagine it would be just for family.) I'm also thinking it would be fun if my North Carolina Odyssey Project spawned a book of some sort. I've been encouraged to write a book about my weight loss and running. I love to read mysteries, and wonder if I'd be any good at writing them. (I know, I know, one doesn't necessarily lead to the other!)

Are you a writer? If so, I'd love to hear about it! Are you a writer wannabee? Then what are your writing dreams?

Speaking of Faith

I recently added a new (for me) podcast subscription to my iPod called "Speaking of Faith," and it's been a pleasant surprise! Krista Tipett, the host, talks about a variety of subjects (or so it seems, I'm only on my second episode) relating to "religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas." The first episode I listened to was about a man who found spirituality in fish and fishing. The one I'm listening to now is an interview with Rick Warren (and his wife, Kay) of Saddleback Church. My only regret (and I hate to call it that) with this podcast is that each one (so far) is 53 minutes long, and I typically don't have 53 uninterrupted minutes to listen to a podcast! It's taking me a few days to listen to each episode, partly because I listen to several podcasts in addition to SOF.

In checking the podcast's website this morning, I learned there's a book out that's spawned from the podcast. I just discovered the library I work for holds it, but it's checked out, so I've put a hold on it. :)

Listening to this podcast has reminded me, in part, why I enjoy going to Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where different faiths and spiritual journeys are welcome.

Evening Rainbow

It started raining on my way home this evening, and I saw this rainbow! I was glad I had my camera handy. The rainbow was visible for the last several minutes of my commute, and it was a great way to end the work week!

Now There's Some Inspiration!

I recently stumbled upon a new (to me) running blog that included a mention about an 81-year-old Maryland man who finished a local 5K road race in 27:06! Needless to say, that impressed me quite a bit. I'd love to be able to talk to that person and learn his secrets of longevity and an active lifestyle. I hope I'm still going that strong at 81! A link to the newspaper article is here.

I was thinkng about running in a 5K road race in the morning (there are a couple of possibilities), but my nose is still stuffy and I've been sneezing this afternoon. A few weeks ago, I did sign up for a 1-mile road race, the Magnificent Mile, on Sunday afternoon. I think I'll just get a slow, easy (and maybe short, depending on how I'm feeling) run in tomorrow morning, and do the 1-miler Sunday afternoon.

Hooray for Historic Preservation!

For quite a while I've had a dream of restoring an old (Victorian or something like that) home, so I've enjoyed walking through the Trinity Park neighborhood in Durham and watching some of the renovations going on in that area. One of the projects I've been pleased to see is the old King's Daughters Home on Buchanan Blvd. When I walked past there a few weeks ago, I noticed there was some renovation going on, so I googled it later and learned it had been bought and was going to become a bed and breakfast inn! A little while ago I walked by it again and saw a sign with the projected opening date of April 2009, and a website for the to-be King's Daughters Inn. Check out their website for progress pictures of the construction and renovation, which I love to see!

The End of a Short Vacation

I head back to work tomorrow after taking last Thursday and Friday off of work with George. We didn't do as much as we'd planned, but it was still a nice break.

Thursday morning I decided to get my 10-mile run in while George had an appointment in Cary. I went to Shelley Lake for the run, and ran into Donna, another Galloway groupie. It was fun to run into a running acquaintance by accident, and it was a good run, to boot.

Thursday afternoon, I joined George, his brother, and his dad for lunch at The Food Factory in Cary. I hadn't been to the Food Factory before, and enjoyed a veggie wrap.

Friday, George and I drove up to Person County to have lunch at Clarksville Station and explore Roxboro. I blogged about the excursion on my North Carolina Odyssey Project blog, where I'm keeping track of my journey through all one hundred counties in North Carolina. My Person County post is here. Friday evening, we joined George's family for Shabbat dinner.

Yesterday morning, I enjoyed puttering around while the rain and wind from Tropical Storm Hanna blew through. (I love storms, as long as they aren't harmful!) Last night we celebrated a couple of family birthdays with George's family at Bonefish Grill in Cary. Little Talia turns 3 tomorrow, so it was fun to see her really enjoy getting birthday presents this year.

I've been having trouble with my red iPod Nano lately...the screen keeps going white. I've rebooted each time, but it's gotten harder and harder to get the index screen of songs and podcasts to show up. So, I decided I'd had enough of it this afternoon. I looked online and ordered a black 3rd generation Nano from Circuit City's website, and opted to pick it up from the nearest store with one in stock. I headed off to Cary (lots of time in Cary this weekend!), and came back with a brand new iPod! I've had fun figuring out how to fill it this evening. I think I've got what I need from the old iPod on it (it's still charging, so I haven't plugged the earbuds in yet).

What Lesley Means

What Lesley Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Ten on Tuesday: Ten People You'd Like to Meet

I just got the "Ten on Tuesday" meme in my inbox, and thought it was a fun one. For me, the list of people I'd like to meet is a fluid one, as I learn about more interesting people and as current events unfold. It was hard to narrow it down to just 10 people, but if I just had to pick 10 people to meet for dinner this evening, here's who I'd pick at this moment (in no particular order):

Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John McCain
Sarah Palin
Carol Burnett
David Cutliffe
Rosa Parks
Barbara Walters
Harper Lee
Deena Kastor

Who would make YOUR list?

Who is This Team?! And Where Have They Been Hiding?!

George and I spent last evening on the Duke campus, mostly in Wallace Wade Stadium, for Duke's footbal home opener against James Madision University. Duke's football program has been pretty lackluster for too many years, but with the hiring of new head coach David Cutliffe from the University of Tennessee and the University of Mississippi (between those two football programs, he coached both Manning brothers), we Duke football fans have been hopeful.

Before the game, George and I went to an employee appreciation picnic (which included free football game tickets for up to six people to encourage families to come, face painting and a few other things for kids), which had a great turnout. The food was standard picnic fare--cole slaw, potato salad, hot dogs, bar-b-que, and what I heard were veggie burgers (no more left when I got up to the front, so I had cole slaw and potato salad for supper, not the healthiest, but oh well! It was still fun!).

We also got to watch the football team's new tradition of marching from the Chapel to the football building, amidst a good crowd of fans. (We were near the football area, so I don't know what it was like between the Chapel and the area near Cameron Indoor Stadium and Wallace Wade Stadium, where we were.) They were led by Coach Cutliffe, and followed by members of the marching band and the cheerleaders. What impressed me most about this new tradition is that Cutliffe and the players were all dressed in suits and looked very classy! They were holding their shoulders high, most with big grins but a few with their game faces on already. Many shook hands with or gave high fives to fans in the front of the crowd. It looked like a team with a different attitude!

George and I ended up inside the stadium way early, but just relaxed and enjoyed watching the stadium slowly but surely fill with fans. It turned out to be one of the best crowds I've seen for a football game at Duke in a long, long time! The players came out for some pregame warm ups, and it was impressive to see everyone out there. About an hour before the game was supposed to start, two parachute jumpers landed on the football field. We were impressed, but wondered why they were jumping in the middle of warmups by both teams. It turns out that they landed in the wrong field! They were supposed to land at the UNC-McNeese St. game a few miles away--it happened to start an hour before our game (was supposed to start)! Oops! Read more about the wayward parachute jump here.

The game started about an hour and a half late due to weather, but we were relieved that it wasn't cancelled. (George and I bought ponchos to wait out the rain.) The players and football staff came through the tunnel flanked by fireworks (see left), but the big inflated football helmet they used to run through onto the field was gone. (Now that I think about it, that big helmet thing was a little cheesy!)

Here's a sampling of the home crowd--lots of Duke blue! It looked like a big crowd of ticket purchasers, in addition to the relocated student section on the west side of the stadium (about time!), and the general admission section which included all the employees who came out. They offered prizes for student living groups with the best attendance, as well as raffle prizes for grad students and employees who swiped their IDs to register.

Before the game started, Coach Cutliffe came over to the student section, I guess to thank them for coming out in such great numbers. Nice gesture. He seems to have worked on (and gotten) their support. The game finally started around 8:30, and here are the Duke and James Madison teams about to start the first play of the new season.

Duke made the first touch down of the game, was ahead at the half, and won the game 31-7! (Left is the final scoreboard.) I really enjoyed watching them play, and even George (not a sports fan in general) had a good time. They ran the ball well, started getting their passing game together, kicked very well, snagged some interceptions, and made several fourth down conversions. The total package was impressive for the Duke football program.

At the end of the game, many of the players came over in front of the student section to high five and cheer with the students. Nice, very different from many previous games of late, where the players have walked dejectedly toward the locker rooms after a loss. In the background, the goal post was brought down with long pole thingies by staff members (same with the other end). Cutliffe had asked that students not storm the field for the goal posts this time, since he wants everyone to start expecting Duke wins. Goal post hopping, he said, could wait for a bigger game.

After the victorious game, fireworks ensued.

Geocaching

On my long run at Shelley Lake this morning, I was able to catch up on several podcasts, including one called Fat2Fit Radio, hosted by Russ Turley and Jeff Ansley. I subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, and have been enjoying it for quite a while. I've been putting off listening to a particular episode for a while, thinking I might not enjoy it as much, as it's about geocaching. I decided to listen to it today, and honestly, it sounds like a lot of fun now. From what I gather, you use a GPS to find geocaches by going to the geocaching website here. I haven't signed up for a free account yet, but apparently you can enter a zip code, find lists of geocaches in the area, plug in the coordinates into a GPS device, and go find it. Usually, there's a container at that spot with some little treasures in it, and maybe a paper log to record that you were there. The guys on the podcast mentioned taking some little something to drop into the container, in exchange for the trinket you take back with you. Once home, you record your geocache find on the site.

This sounds like it could be a fun hobby, and a neat way to learn the area even better. I don't have a GPS device, though, other than my Garmin Forerunner 205, and I can't put coordinates in it, I don't think. Any recommendations on GPS devices? Anyone reading this into geocaching? If so, I'd love to hear more!

The Eyes Have It

Lately I've been noticing the lack (most of the time) of eye contact by people in the service industry. Part of it, I think, comes with experience and training. But some people have learned it somewhere else, perhaps from a family member or mentor.

At the grocery store I ususally go to, I tend to gravitate toward this one cashier, a high school teenager with a winsome grin AND good eye contact. I'll get at the end of a longer line for her to ring up my groceries. I don't remember the name on her nametag, but I really appreciate her demeanor. The good eye contact was what impressed me first. When she's not there, I give other cashiers a try, thanking each one (as well as the bagger) for their service. This one girl is the only one who consistently gives good eye contact and a smile. She often asks me how I'm doing (again, with good eye contact), and occasionally will comment on something I'm purchasing to spark a short conversation, something like, "Mmm, that looks good. Have you tried it before?"

Over the weekend, I was included for dinner with George's family at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Several people in service roles there gave us good eye contact (as well as great service!). I would wager that good eye contact is either part of the training at Ruth's Chris, or people working with customers there already have that skill down pat. It's probably part of what got them to that level of restaurant service.

During college, I worked as a waitress, and come to think of it, I can't remember if the importance of eye contact was taught there or not. I'm sure my high school debate coach brought it up during debate class in the early 80's. I can't remember where else I learned it, perhaps from my parents, who are both great conversationalists.

After I'd been on the Rice Diet for several months, one of my coworkers at Duke and I were talking about the weight loss, and she commented that she could see my eyes better since I'd lost so much weight. That's one of the best compliments she could've given me, and she probably didn't know it!

MoonPies and Mama Dip's

As a Worship Associate at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship this morning, I delivered a 5-minute (or so) reflection on the meaning of membership at ERUUF to me, to go along with the theme of the service. I compared membership to MoonPies! I enjoyed being part of this morning's service. It was my third time as a worship associate, and I think it was my favorite experience so far. Although I continue to be a little nervous when I do it, it's getting more natural to me, and I enjoy interacting with the congregation. I got some chuckles from the congregation over my MoonPie analogy, and some people said nice things afterwards, which was encouraging.

Part of what made this morning's service special was that my parents and sister, who were in town already, came to listen! It was fun to have them there, the first time they'd been to ERUUF.

Afterward, we went to eat lunch at Mama Dip's, a restaurant in Chapel Hill, joined by my sister's husband and two daughters. Although the service was slow, we had a good time catching up. They all spent last week together in Pine Knoll Shores, a town on the North Carolina coast. I didn't go because my department was in the throws of settling into a new building. So, it meant a lot that they came to support me this morning, and lunch at Mama Dip's was a lot of fun! (This particular picture includes my mom, sister, brother-in-law, and nieces.)