June Marie's Mystical Mile

This is the entire mile. At the end...there's a suprise.

It's A Brave New World

I don't often share real stories from work. That can get you in trouble if you're not careful. But this is too funny and I think I can pull it off and not identify the innocent.
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Last shift I was riding out as acting captain. A guy from another station...we'll call him S...was driving. And a new paramedic was on the back end...we'll call her A.
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I've worked quite a bit with both of them and enjoy their company. We were having a fun shift. Hadn't been terribly busy but weren't bored to death either.
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Late in the evening we got toned out on an automatic alarm at an apartment complex.
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I was already dressed for bed...in my t-shirt and shorts.
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Normally at work I wear my hair in a ponytail but don't sleep in one so I had taken my hair down. When the tone dropped I couldn't find my hair elastic. It took me an extra few seconds to get to the rig...now don't be alarmed...we were still the first ones responding so I'm only talking a few seconds.
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But those few seconds were important because my crew was already on the rig. Waiting on me.
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I jumped in the rig, put us responding and said "sorry guys, I couldn't find my hair thingy."
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A responded " Hey, you could have used one of mine, I always have an extra."
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To which I replied. "Thanks but I always keep one here on my bunkers."
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At this point, S...now keep in mind, we are running lights and sirens in the big red truck, getting our gear on, looked at the map book, getting ready...S replied
"Please tell me we are not talking about hair thingys on our way to a house fire!!!!".
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He he he.
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Best part of the whole shift.

Nothing Is Worth More Than This Day

That is what the medallion around my neck says.
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I bought it for myself a few weeks ago. I didn't realize how important that phrase would become to me.
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Many of you know that I've been doing a little rowing lately. And that I've been trying to lose some weight. I am getting more comfortable in my single and the pounds are coming off in a healthy way.
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But this experience has done something I didn't expect.
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It's given me back myself.
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I feel more like me than I have in several years. I'm achy and sore in many places from the rowing and the gym. I'm hungry sometimes...but not all the time. And I've not gone on some crazy diet that is unmanageable. Just watching what I'm eating and writing it down so I know my total calorie count each day.
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But Nothing Is Worth More Than This Day.
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And Nothing Is Worth More Than I Am.
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Sounds self centered and I suppose it is. But if I'm not whole, healthy and happy...what good am I to any of the people I love?
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What good can I do in this world?
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It's important to me to make a difference. With my family. With my rowers. In my work on the big red truck. In my community.
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So here is my challenge to ya'll.
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Look at your life. Ask yourself " Am I taking care of me so I can take care of my people?"
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Make the changes in your life so you can be the best you you can be. That's what we all want for you.

I Really Should Take This Dog For A Walk

I really should.
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I don't really need to lay here on this bed. I'm not tired. Just bored. Just uninspired.
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Do gloomy Sundays affect you this way? I just can't get moving.
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Could be the furry boys cuddled up close, purring and being all fuzzy cat like.
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The dog is cuddled up here too. But it is, as always with her, only a temporary condition. If I got up and moved around she'd be up. Wiggling and excited to see what I might do that could be fun...or involve food.
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Okay. I'm getting up. I'll clean out the back of the car. Bundle up and take the furry beasts for a walk.

Rain Choir - Perpetuum Jazzile is an a cappella jazz choir from Slovenia.

This is really cool...and appropriate for today.

Boy Did They Throw A Wet Blanket On My Excitement!

I was going to pay off my car today.
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I looked at the budget and it was scheduled to pay off on November 10 but the money scheduled to pay it with is currently sitting in my account and well...
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Kind of a neat birthday present to myself.
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But you see. The bank always has a way of ruining the fun.
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My car payments are on automatic withdrawal. They are paid on the 10th of the month. Today is the 8th.
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They need 15 days to stop an automatic draft. So if I paid it today I'd still get hit for the payment. Now since the 10th is a Saturday and Monday is some random holiday the payment won't actually post until Tuesday.
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So.
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On Tuesday I will pay off my car.
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And on Tuesday I will be excited.
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Today I am not.

What Inspires You?

We've been talking a lot at practice this week. Well...actually we always talk a lot. Or at least the kids talk a lot. Sometimes I can't hear myself think. Oh my, do they talk a lot.
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Where was I...
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Right. This week at practice.
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I've been trying to figure out how to light a fire under this group of kids. Make them faster, more focused, inspire them.
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So I asked them. "What inspires you?"
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The answers were interesting. And somewhat predictable. I wasn't really surprised by any of the answers.
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Music. Stories of triumph over adversity. Competition. Inner drive.
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But still. I'm at a loss. How do I inspire them? I want them to want to be better. I want them to be the team I see in them. The team I can't quite get to.
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I'm frustrated. They are frustrated. We are not achieving the speed we're capable of. We are making dumb mistakes.
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What inspires you? Were you ever really jazzed by a team experience? Tell me about it...
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Please.