Thoughts From the West

I'm running on adrenaline and anxiety today.  I'm trying to get prepared for being out of town and the to do list keeps growing and I'm rushing through things and making mistakes.  I remembered my previous post about writing therapy and I remembered something I filed away early this morning so here I am at the keyboard.  I'm breathing with the rhythm of my fingers and taking a moment to reflect and share. I love visiting college campuses.  When I'm traveling somewhere I always try to see any campuses nearby.  I have some favorites.  I really enjoyed exploring UCLA.  I took a very long uphill run to see the stadium at U of Michigan.  University of Northern Florida has signs warning about alligators right near the quad where students walk.  One of my favorite campuses is smaller Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.  It's a beautiful and tranquil campus.  Of course, I am counting the days until I'm walking around the Duke ca...

Those who know me well will not be surprised to learn that I'm a list maker and a hoarder of office supplies.  I love a new pretty notebook and a great pen.  When school supplies go on sale at Target my husband lovingly puts up with the pile of notebooks and chart paper and fun pencils and pens that find their way into my cart.  Lists soothe me.  I like seeing what I need to do lined up and I like seeing progress as I check things off that are accomplished.  I start every day with a list at work.  I'd be naked without it.  I have lists on my wall of my office and on sticky notes (purchased at Target- 60% off!). Today was a horrible day.  It started with a challenge at work.  And, it wasn't a positive challenge that I could learn from.  It was just a challenge I had to face and work through carefully.  Then, it was an endless sea of meetings and emails.  I learned I made a terrible mistake that resulted in miscommunication and...

I am a cardio addict.  I like to work out for long periods of time.  I've tried circuit training.  I'll do it but I'd much rather hike five miles or jog five or six continuously.  Short bursts of activity are not my style.   I'm not a short burst writer.  I can't steal 10-15 minutes here and there to write unless it's a blog post. Even then, I have to sit until it is drafted.  I don't like to be interrupted.  I like to get my thoughts out in words.  If I'm pulled away I have a very difficult time getting back into the groove and getting re-oriented to my topic.   I need to plan out at least an hour of time if I'm working on a professional piece.  I get frustrated if I'm not able to just focus for an extended amount of time. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as even finding time for this post in the chaos that is a beautiful busy start to the semester has been challenging and had to wait for a holiday when I find myself ...