Yes, Bob, I really do read your blog. I considered myself tagged. Here goes:
10 years ago I was:
In the middle of a four year career as a case manager at therapeutic home for children with autistic spectrum disorders. This was the most intense job I have ever held. Daily we worked with children and families that were on a chaotic edge of falling apart. Our role was to keep them together while teaching both child and parents to work together to learn how to communicate, play and connect. For the last two years at this job I also lived on site in an apartment attached to the house. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – it was non stop. I eventually left the job to complete my masters degree.
5 years ago I was:
Happily doing triathlons, dating Chris and balancing it all with a full-time position as an education program coordinator at an outdoor museum. I was trying to connect children to the natural world, trying to convince management that numbers were not everything and trying to talk Chris into marrying me. 1 for 3 isn’t bad.
1 year ago I was:
Preparing to re-release myself into the wild – literally. I decided to leave my full-time job as an education program manager with a 5 minute commute, flexible schedule and a good salary to take the risk of starting my own business. I remember the day I walked into my manager’s office and resigned. Best damn day of my life (in a business sense) because it represented trusting myself, believing in my abilities, and setting myself free.
Five things on my do do list today:
1) Grocery shop – check. Even got an A+ because I successfully located and purchased Ness’ soy creamer in the red carton.
2) Get my foot worked on – it’s been a year and my foot still hurts. At times it makes me want to quit the sport, at other time it reminds me to be patient and grateful. I take it day to day and realize that at least 50 percent of my feet are functioning and those aren’t bad odds.
3) Shoot my bow and arrow at the shooting range. I will blog about this some time but it is a new favorite sport. When you shoot for a target and send an arrow sailing towards it you develop patience, focus and aim. Plus the sound of the arrow flying and hitting the target is sharp and intense. I want to be like the arrow.
4) Enjoy a workout day off. Nothing today. NOTHING. I get one every 2 weeks and treasure them like a good cup of coffee.
5) Pick up Beth at the airport. I’m pretty sure she arrives around 8:40 pm. Jen and Ness asked if I picked Beth up yet so I had a fleeting worry that I left poor little Beth alone at Midway. If you’ve ever been to Midway you know it’s not a nice place to get left.
Five snacks I like:
I’ll choose the healthy route for this since you already know all of my junk food vices…
1) Cucumbers with yogurt, tahini & dill
2) Sweet potato with yogurt & cinnamon
3) English muffin with pumpkin & tahini
4) Almonds, pretzels and currants
5) Very Vanilla Soy Milk
If I were a billionaire I would:
1) Split it with my brother and my mom.
2) Move out west to buy a nice home on a wooded lot with lots of hostas, trees and a lake (yes I would be rich enough to buy a lake).
3) Get rid of our ghetto Honda.
4) Buy an SRM.
5) Drink real 100% Kona coffee everyday.
Five places I’ve lived:
Brooklyn, NY
Oxford, OH
Lisle, IL
On coffee for the past 10 years
Some days out of my car
Five Jobs I’ve had:
Manager for my college’s catering department; I catered redneck weddings (permission to use that word if you spent 3+ years living in southern Ohio), Lions Club meetings (they always ordered pie but NO BLUEBERRY!), high brow gatherings at the president’s house (I was once dared to go upstairs, go ahead, I dare you) and cradle of coaches (really just a gathering of coaches to drink beer the night before the game). The job paid well and it included all kinds of free food – and wedding cake!
Case manager at a maximum security prison for men; I’ve got stories about the dairy barn that you wouldn’t believe and I know how to make a shank out of a plastic spoon and leftover jello.
Waitress; best job ever. Smile pretty, make small talk, remember their names = $$$$
Dog mom; Beth confirmed it – I am the mother to the world’s most adorable dog.
Coach – wait, that’s my job right now! Being self-employed/business owner is one of the hardest things I have ever done– and I’ve had some tough jobs! The hardest part is that you are always “on”. There is always work to be done and you can’t just leave it on your desk for Monday. The job is also real time – people change daily and people need things right away. You can’t get an e-mail about Monday’s workout needing a change and give it to them Tuesday. Nor can you delegate. All of the responsibility – financial, marketing, quality control, customer service – all falls into YOUR lap. I used to manage a staff of 50 part-time employees. My coaching feels the same way – I have so many different personalities; everyone has their own needs, feelings, talents and goals. It’s my job to develop their potential, bring out their best, to challenge them with workouts and keep them driven towards their big goal. Each person requires a different approach. That is the hardest part too – figuring everyone out and then addressing their needs in a tactful and meaningful way. I have to remember that I am a service people choose – not need. So not doing a good job is “not” an option. Not that I did a bad job at my other jobs – but you know how you can give some projects more attention than others? That’s not an option now! All of my “projects” are important to me. It’s also a daily balancing act to give time to my business and then time to me. I get phone calls every day of the week, all hours of the day. And the e-mails come in constantly. I have to remind myself to step back sometimes and take a break to attend to my own life away from my business and the sport. Balance!
That’s all about me!
