I'd like to buy a... 40ish percentage?!

I love summer.  New Year's seems so far away.  But 2011 only has 5 months left.  Crazy!

NYR fun fact...

Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

Here's where I stand... My Resolutions:

1. Run a half-marathon.  Insanity continues.  I must admit, I'm scared.  Starting tomorrow, with August, we begin into the second phase of Insanity.  Workouts are longer and more intense... at least the names make it seem that way!  Four more weeks, then it's back to getting miles and muscle for the half-marathon.

2. Try new things.  I went parasailing!!!!  I was nervous and scared before going, then experienced pure excitement and joy while on the boat and the first 5 minutes in the air, then back to nervous and scared when I heard this noise the parachute was making, then back to pure excitement and joy when we dipped in the water!  So cool! 

I also tried crab dip.  Eww.

3. Be better at everything. Well... I think I became a better person sort of in the past few weeks/month.  I was turned down for a job with the most encouraging and positive support ever from the employer.  This lead me to rethink some things, share some things, discuss some things, and sort of get things off my chest. 

I don't even focus on patience any more, because I really think I've sort of made it a part of me!

4. Find luck. Umm... I think I struck out on this again.  No doubt I got lucky a few times this month.  But I haven't truly found luck yet... if I even know what that means!


Past NYR updates:
January 1 - 12 percent
End of Jan- 64 percent
End of Feb. - 58ish percent... I bet
End of March - First Quarter. Has to be less than 50%
End of April -  46.8 + or - 2.2... maybe?
End of May -  _____ %.
End of June - 46% Half way!

Simple Smile... and a Cinna-mint

I have a question.  Why do we (Americans) have low standards of service?  We love everything done so quickly sometimes that we forget to smile.

Craziest place to have this all come to light today was a Long John Silvers in Lancaster, PA, on the way home from vacation.  After a long drive, and my one complaint being I didn't get to have the infamous Crabber Cove hush puppies seeing as how Crabbers Cove ceases to exist, so I opted for LJS.  Good faithful Garmin, aka Mary, picked a LJS on Manheim Pike in Lancaster, when we actually passed another to get to it.  I noticed something different at this fast food restaurant when I was getting my drink, when one of the workers actually brought my food over to me instead of calling out my number.  I thanked her, nodded to myself thinking 'wow that was nice,' and took my seat.  Friends followed suit.  We were just finishing up our meal when around comes the women that took our order with a basket of cinnamon mints (my favorite), stopping at each table asking how everything was and handing out the mints.  She even joked with my friend about how his meal was from Wendy's!  So simple.  Less than 1 minute of her time at our table.  Entire dining room, less than 8 minutes.  We sat there as she walked away discussing the amazing service.  How for a fast food restaurant it was unheard of!  How the workers there actually were smiling.

Rewind quite a few hours to our departure from the beach and our stop out of town at Dunkin' Donuts, I think I saw maybe two smiles in the packed place from co-workers and customers combined.  We laughed about how everyone leaving was sad vacation was over, and how locals were annoyed the vacationers made the place so crowded.  But service with a smile, some manners, and an extra minute, that's really where it's at.  Kudos Long John Silvers on Manheim Pike in Lancaster, PA, I don't even like fish but I like you.

Yakety Yak

A vivid memory from my childhood, into my teen years, and eventually until my Daddy's passing is that of his music collection.  Stacks of old records, cassettes, CD's and even old 45s.  The collection was always out.  It accompanied us on family vacations, on trips to the grocery store, while he waited for any one of my sisters or I to finish an after school practice, or most commonly I recall walking into the house and seeing my Daddy after a long days work sitting there TV off, reclined in his chair, his eyes closed singing along to any genre of song from any era.  His favorites were the oldies.  My sisters and I grew up singing along to the Temptations, Elvis, The Supremes, The Beatles, and so many more.  Included in there was The Coasters. While sitting on the beach today, their 1958 hit Yakety Yak, came to mind. 

A few months ago I referenced the madness of May that consumed my life.  Looking back to that time and a bit before, you'll notice my posting rate has dropped dramatically with the start of spring/summer.  For a while this frustrated me.   I have/had a million things I wanted to blog about but 'couldn't find the time.'  In May I made a new friend.  One of the first things I said to that friend in an email was "I just looked at some of your facebook pictures from since you've been here, and you've managed to make Clearfield/Pa seem so much more exciting than what I experience on a daily basis!"  That statement spawned a somewhat altered approach to what my life back home post college had become.  Without realizing I began to appreciate things so much more.  Over the next month +, I spent time with that friend trying to show him some of the more exciting, and even simple things that I regularly take for granted.

May has come and gone, but the madness really hasn't.  In May I stopped having 'chores' ... no more 'taking out the papers and the trash.'  As this very second my toes are in the sand, the ocean breeze is blowing my hair, and I'm certain of only a few things.   No chores in life.  When I go to work, I make the most of where I am at and the tasks at hand.  When I work-out, I do it because I want to (doesn't mean I won't complain just a little!).  When I frantically balance work, coaching, applying for jobs, planning my life, blogging, family and friends, I'll continue to do so with a smile.  And if that means I don't blog more than once a month, that's ok....  I love to talk, so Coasters, friends, take this as a yakety, yak... I'm talking back... and I hope you are as well.

46% Half way!

I'm over half-way!!!!  This site I've repeatedly referred to says that after six months, 46% of people are still going strong.  I don't know if strong is the right word, but I'm still going!

I'm actually a bit indecisive on how I'm doing with my NYR.  This post is late, I've blogged less in the past 3 months, I've run around crazy-like claiming my life is madness. (Which it is!) But I like my life, and while my NYR are not being perfectly executed (if execution is even the correct action here), they have actually become a part of my daily life.  I am no longer making a conscious effort to achieve these goals.  I think that's an accomplishment!  However indecision sets in when I see that I've let things shift in my life, and what was once daily activities have become weekly... maybe.  BUT it's summer, I'm happy, I'm smiling... I think that's success enough.


Summer-NYR fact.  People who 'failed' at NYR, or refused to set them, actually tend to set mini summer resolutions often subconsiously.  People get out more, attempt to work on that beach body, even eat a bit healthier!  Watermelon, tomatoes, all sorts of fresh produce scream summer time!


My Resolutions:

1. Run a half-marathon.  During the month of June I can think of one run I went on.  I failed right? Nope! I disagree!  There is more than running that helps prepare for a big run!  My new training method is amazingly awful.  Insanity and Shaun T are killer.  I do have some concern about the fact I will be finishing Insanity only 6 weeks before the half-marathon.  I originally thought I'd try and balance running and Insanity but decided I'd rather do Insanity and follow their schedule.  And trying to run, play soccer occasionally, after Insanity led me to the quick realization that my legs were dead.  So I'm working on this resolution, just in an altered way... a not running way!  AND disclaimer here, I still plan to run a half-marathon but have no true desire to run one whatsoever.  I do keep it as a goal, but am more satisfied with the fact it's got me back to regular intense exercise which hasn't been a part of my regular schedule since high school!

2. Try new things.  I started Insanity in June.  Because of Insanity I also stared counting calories... While my counting has flopped, I did manage to do the 5 meals a day for a solid 2 weeks.... And I got CLOSE to the calorie intake I needed to maintain weight.

3. Be better at everything. I'm going to use this one to reflect on a friend, mentor, coach, extraordinary human being, that passed away a few weeks ago.  While I consistently try to be a better person, and be better at everything I do, Al Siegel was a true depiction of the kind of person I want to be.  While I am saddened by his passing, I am even more inspired to, at the end of my life, have led a life like Al's.  Al cared for people.  He helped people.  He motivated people.  He listened to people.  As his son said, Al gave a piece of his heart to everyone he met.  Al never expected anything in return.  So I've got some big life goals, that I hope will make even a small impact on someone somewhere!  I'm going to be better at everything because of Al and I'm going to achieve those goals!


4. Find luck.  If I failed at any of my NYR this past month, it was this one.  I forgot to look....


Past NYR updates:
January 1 - 12 percent
End of Jan- 64 percent
End of Feb. - 58ish percent... I bet
End of March - First Quarter. Has to be less than 50%
End of April -  46.8 + or - 2.2... maybe?
End of May -  _____ %.