Ready for Vacation

I am on VACATION....don't be jealous OK. :)
Seems like getting ready to be on vacation is more work than its worth sometimes. I always seem to be more stressed the week before I go on vacation from work. Trying make sure that I have not forgotten things, making sure everyone is able to take over all the duties, and making sure the whole plant wont go under while I'm gone. (I know it wouldn't...but still..... you think so anyways) And once my vacation starts... it always takes me a few days to de-stress to even feel like I am on vacation.

Friday was me and Kim's wedding anniversary, so we did what we always do on our anniversary date....we went to the Beer tent during the Lapeer Days Festival. How romantic you may say....or maybe not. But we always enjoy seeing old class mates there and we always seem to have a good time. This year we went with Taylor and her boyfriend. And yes...we had a wonderful time. We even hit the  bar for a nightcap , where I sang "Always and Forever" to Kim. (Note to self....Don't ever sing when you've been drinking....especially a song that you haven't sang in twenty some years.) Luckily there was only a few people there to here the treacherous notes I was trying to sing. But hey...its the thought that counts right?

No, I don't have any big plans for my vacation, I just plan on relaxing and getting ready for the Crim race on Saturday.Taylor and I decided we would do it together and I cant let her down...so I will be walking/running everyday just to make sure I can go the 10 mile distance. Uggh!! But I will be thinking of the finish line...that's what its all about for me....just FINISHING!!!

I also participated in the Lapeer Days Parade this past weekend. (And let me say right now...This is soooo not my kind of thing) It was a last minute thought... but our Lupus Support Group walked in the parade to promote our "Pet Parade for Lupus" we are doing on October 15th. (last year we had 72 entries and was a Hoot)
My morning started with me trying to find Kim (Keep in mind that we did go to the Beer tent the night before so my sense of direction was slightly misguided)...Someone had to be there early and hold our spot (thanks Kim)...And I am not a morning person so my plans were to show up just before the Parade would start with our dogs. I walked all the way down the entire Parade line up looking for her....not a sight of her. I called her and she was trying to tell me directions of where she was..."You know where Parkway street is? she asked....I replied  "Ahh...No...I do not know all the side street names in down town Lapeer" (I was getting frustrated at this point) But as I am standing there talking with her...It dawned on me... (as my eyes gazed up at the street sign that said Parkway street) (let alone all the parade contestants all lined up down this street). I was standing on the street corner that she was speaking of. Arrrgh!! And then it hit me....I really need this Vacation. :)

Here's a few pictures of the Pets that we walked with....just some adorable pooches!!

During the parade I found myself enjoying something I wasn't really looking forward to. I think I'm ready now.... So Bring on the VACATION !!

I will Take "Quality Time" for 200 Alex

There is an old cliche that I hear all the time, and it really bothers me when it is used loosely. Its the one that everyone says when it comes to their children...you may hear it in a sentence something like this:" I am going to spend some quality time with my children." Its the whole "Quality Time" thing that has me questioning.What does "Quality Time" mean to people? Isn't all time spent with your children "Quality Time"?  Well...To me it is...but I have heard stories of people saying that they watched a movie with their kids last night and they followed it by saying it was quality time spent with the kids. Ummmm NO !!!

Maybe Mothers may think something different than the Fathers when it comes to describing what QT means to them. But since I am not a Mother (but have been called a Mutha) I will attempt to describe what it means to me. I think that there are three elements....

First...QT time with the kids, spouse, or any other person you Love, all starts with good intentions, and should never be done because you think you HAVE to.If you think you HAVE to....you actually have a whole lot of other things you need to fix first.  Real QT time starts with Love and ends with even more Love. So in other words...your heart has to be ALL IN.

Second...You must have interaction from both parties...you cant have QT with only one person talking. Everyone must have a chance to speak. (I have been telling my wife this for years....She still doesn't get it...lol) When you find yourself just listening...its not called "Quality Time" ...its called counseling, and you should be getting paid $75 an hour having to listen to it. :)

Third...You must be doing something fun. By Fun,...I mean something that you all have an interest in doing. I have always wanted to take my kids hunting with me...but they have no interest in watching me kill a deer. (or Bambi as they like to call them) Nor do they have the patience it takes to do so. So Hunting would not be a viable solution to spend QT with them. But sitting around the campfire having a couple of brew-has and talking about life would be great fun for them. (And me too..especially the brew-has) And it never fails...we always seem to hit a subject that is both discussion worthy. Its life in general we are talking about so there is always something interesting to talk about and I always seem to learn something about my kids. How they think, how they express themselves, what type of vocabulary they use, and most of all...how they Laugh. When I think of my children's laughter... its puts a immediate smile on my face.

I just hate it when people think that QT is defined as watching TV or working in the yard with their kids. You are not putting any investment in it when you do that. No interaction, No Fun!!!
You must invest your undivided attention to them and hear what they have to say and imagine. When I spend QT time with my nieces and nephews...I like to tell stories with them, we each take turns telling parts of a made up story. You can change where the story is going when its your turn...but until that time you can sit and listen to their imagination run wild. Its quite fun and we always have tons of laughs. On my part...I am investing my time and energy in putting a memory in their minds that they will remember the rest of their lives. And any time you can do that with your kids, spouse , grand kids,brothers and sisters....Its REAL "Quality Time"

Stupid Happens

 I took my first stress test today. I have always wanted to have one done. I'm not sure why but I just thought it may tell me if I am fit enough to live another 25 years or so. So it got me thinking...what is stress? And why do they call it a stress TEST? Are they really checking my stress level? Or are they just checking my heart? I know the answer ...its just seems funny that they call it a Stress Test when in reality...I get my stress level checked everyday at work. If I don't die from stress during the day...I passed the daily stress test. :)
At work, I have a high level of stress everyday...with having to deal with so many people and trying to get things done to meet deadlines and customer requirements, it makes me stressed with every task. It would seem like if they really wanted to call it a "stress test"...they would come to my place of work and when I finish talking to one of the "Stupid"ones....or when I find out that one of the "Stupid" ones screwed up and we cant ship parts because they did something stupid  (thus the "Stupid" name).....that's when they should check my heart. That would tell them at what level of stupidness my heart can handle and then I can avoid it if I can when that stupidness level becomes to high. With all the High Tech gadgets that they have to check your heart.....you would think that they could come up with a stupid-o-meter or something. I could carry it around and hold it up to the people before I speak with them and it would register the stupid level of said person. I could then avoid the stupid conversation or the stupid question they were going to ask and walk away. (And who ever said that there is no such thing as a stupid question....obviously worked alone...just saying)

The problem with stress is that you don't realize that its happening to you until it actually happens and then its to late. Your heart rate increases rapidly, your blood pressure rises and then you are left with the "ARRGH" feeling it leaves you with. So what do you do then? I usually take a few deep breaths and let my heart rate decrease and BP go down. (and I hope that another Stupid situation doesn't happen while I'm doing this)   They say that exercise reduces stress....ummm...I just don't get that. When I exercises...my heart rate increases and my blood pressure rises....its alot like work. In fact... just thinking about exercises  makes me stressed. So I surely cant understand how that helps reduce stress. So I will stick to my breathing exercises to rid the stress from my body. But lets be honest here...we don't really get rid of stress do we? No...we just forget about it. And to be really honest....until they event that Stupid-O-Meter....breathing is all I have.

The Gift that Gives Back

I stated in in my "Wish Bucket" blog that I would like to give away a large amount of money to someone. (No...I don't have that "Large amount yet" just in case you were thinking I hit the lottery. )
But I did something last weekend that made me feel really good. And reminded me why I have that listed in my "Wish Bucket".

I played in a golf tournament to help support Make a Wish Foundation last weekend. I played the previous year with the same team (Wonderfully Good People) and we came in 2nd place....and as always ...we gave the money we won back to the Make a Wish Foundation. This year we came in 1st place and again gave the money back to the foundation. It always feels good when you "give". Doesn't matter what its for, whether its a gift for Christmas, or helping a someone out when they need it, they all make us feel really good on the inside.

So I cant help but think how that not only pleases our own hearts, but I also think God makes us feel good when we give because its what he wants us to do...our reward so to speak. And of course that's why it feels so good :) So yes..one day I wish I could give away a large amount of money to someone in need and then just walk away with that wonderful feeling of giving.
But...you are probably thinking that by us giving the money back to the Make a Wish Foundation was the thing that made me feel really good...well...yes it did but it wasn't exactly "The" thing I was talking about. After the tournament there were many gifts for silent auction....and since I also won the 50/50 drawing...I decided to spend it on the donated gifts. I ended up getting a "Earth" video game, a die cast model car, and a pair of ear rings. (no..the ear rings weren't for me..I bought them for Kim...just saying)
The video game I will give to me niece and nephew...who happen to know by name, just about any creature on the earth...so I thought it was fitting. But the die cast model car????? I had no idea what the heck I was going to do with it...so when I picked it up...I thought to myself....Self? (cause that's what I call myself) Why did you buy that? I immediately had visions of this sitting in my closet collecting dust right next to the other useless stuff I have in there. So...as I picked it up and had those thoughts, I saw the father of the Little Girl that last years Make a Wish event sponsored.(She went to Florida to swim with the dolphins) Along with him was his son. It only took a split second for me to spit out the words...."You like Cars"? The boy looked at me with wonderment in his eyes and said "yes". "Well here ya go then" and I handed him the car. The look in his eyes when he said "Really?"  just made my day. I said..."You said you liked cars...so enjoy it" And I walked away.

I came home and gave Kim the ear rings (which I still don't know if she liked them...but she did say thanks) Then we went to a wedding reception which we gave also...so really it was just a day of giving. And I just cant think of a better day than that. The Gift of giving is so powerful... and what I realized was that the gift doesn't have to be a Large gift....even a small gift can be just as rewarding as a Large one. God rewards us for all of them just the same. :)