Work. Play. Run.

So I had an employee orientation this week. I was the person crying at this video. I'm heavily involved with our local Food Cupboard….so I know that food insecurity exists in our County. Its harder to see here, as we live in an affluent area, so it is easy for people to forget about. When you market to individuals and businesses trying to fundraise or set up events for the Cupboard, people are often astounded to hear the facts.



Well, I felt that way at my orientation. I had no idea that the Y has a 100% success rate of finding a way for EVERY.SINGLE.CHILD who seeks to come there a place at the table. These kids are able to attend summer camp while their parents work, to get a guarantee of a healthy meal, to have people who care about them and seek to bring some joy into their lives……guaranteed. Even if the parent can't pay a dime. And watching this video made me cry……these kids! I felt so proud to be a part of an organization that is making this happen right here in my community. See if you can watch it without crying. (get through the first 30 seconds of kids yelling and screaming, its worth is).  Imagine being a kid who had no place to go all day all summer and no guarantee of lunch ~ to instead finding a daily home here at the YMCA summer camp. Ah. I've found a new organization to fundraise for. The same is true for families who want to use the YMCA. They use a sliding scale fee rate and find a way for every family who wants to be a part of the Y to come there. I feel extra lucky to be teaching there. I'm proud to be a part of the Y.



In other news. We had our golf kick off dinner last night. Yikes. I found out my "position". My "position" is that I'm SUPER SCREWED!!! But at least I'm going to be screwed with a lot of laughs and good humor. I'm the first position on the second team. There are 5 team matches. Our club fields two teams for our WGAP matches, a first team and a second team. Each person is ranked (1st player, 2nd player etc) by handicap. There are 7 people per team. So as the first player for Team 2 that means that I am in the 8th position in the entire club handicap wise. If anyone can't make a match from the first team I play up (dead) and as mentioned before, I'm playing with an artificially low handicap as its still using 2011 scores and doesn't take into consideration my 2012 with NO posted scores because of my hip….well, I'm probably not going to win a single match. That said, I talked to more than one person last night who said that they didn't win one match last year, or that their first year they didn't win any at all…..so it made me feel better. I now have to learn to lose with a laugh. And I really, really need to brush up on my rules. Its just me, my opponent and our caddy out there. One bonus? Our second team is playing at Aronimink this year, I've walked the course at the ATT and other tournaments but I've not played it, so I'm looking forward to that. Hopefully that won't be a week where any of the team 1 players can't make it, as the first and second teams don't even play at the same courses on the same days. This is all so foreign to me. The other women on the teams are fantastic. I had met most, but not all, before last night. They like to have a good time, I can say that much with certainty. I'm the youngest on the teams. I'm clearly and obviously the newest, too. We do goofy things like have a team uniform and stuff too. I did not know that. Will keep you posted. I heard something about pink shorts. Not kidding. That so isn't my golf style. I did just receive a nice package of golf clothes from Athleta….I've learned the trick to this as most of the stores don't carry the golf apparel, they just sell it on line. Go IN to the stores, try on similar styles of skorts….then order all of the stuff you want through the store, and that way you get your 30% instructor discount and it all is shipped for free to your home! So, color me Athleta this year on the golf course.



The reality of all that plus the fact that it is mere weeks away meant that I was out in the 40 degree crap weather hitting golf balls for 90 minutes today. I probably need to do that for every day until these matches, which isn't going to realistically happen……but I can do my best? I'm going to be that Mom at the driving range with my 3 year old in the cart having a picnic lunch. I actually checked and I am allowed to do that. Hmmm. Nate and I have a long date of a Sunday planned as I'm going to teach at 8 then meet him for body combat and then we have a 1:00 tee time.



Tonight its family date night, Starts off with yoga happy hour at ACAC for a 5:30 flow class, then dinner at a BYOB we like. Tomorrow I teach a gentle class, will workout, there is a sprinkling of birthday parties for various kids, and we are planning a good dinner. Nate made a big career decision that he has been wrestling mightily with and I feel like this huge weight has been lifted. It is not easy having a husband who has a high stress job. Throw in the travel and it can be tough. One reason that I am so incredibly scheduled is because I have to be. I don't have someone to rely on most of the time, so I plan things carefully, and get annoyed when they go awry. I was pretty pissed off Wednesday and Thursday morning, actually. Wednesday I had planned to play 18, and was all dressed for golf…..and it started raining, hard, as I dropped off Jake. I had no errands to run. I had no friends I wanted to see. I didn't WANT to go to the gym. I wanted to play golf, and I'm SICK of being cheerful about this completely shittastic weather. I had just had it. My Mom called and I basically said "I'm too angry and just SICK of this weather (and I actually started to cry. Lets just say that I was feeling like a good long walk by myself chasing a little white ball was the therapy that my soul desperately needed that morning, and I was getting rained out of it). She tried to cheer me up but I just wasn't having it. I told her I just needed to feel bitchy and probably should get off of the phone. I made a massage appointment for 10 AM and took myself out to breakfast at Carlinos. The massage was wonderful, but my grumpy frustration lingered. Thursday I was in the same sort of gloom in the morning. I had been out two nights in a row already and had the golf dinner that night, which all just seemed annoying and exhausting... I was frustrated with the coming schedule and my continuing inability to find the proper sort of getaway……..and I went to Dance Party.



Dance Party is like therapy. Within 15 minutes I had the biggest smile on my face, my problems all seemed trivial (as, really, they are) and everything was gonna be all right. If you had ever told me that I would love to dance like this a year or two ago I would have called you crazy, but its just the absolute best. The music, the fun of being with the same friends every Thursday, our amazing instructor ~ its just impossible to be unhappy while dancing. After that Jake and I went for a little run as the sun was actually out, then met friends at the playground. A little dance, a little run, and a little talk therapy in the sunshine, and it all seems okay again. Now, we have to get this golf business under control and somehow deal with the fact that I'm completely losing my voice and have to teach yoga the next three days in a row to work out…….and all will be well.



OH! PS!!!! I had my exit interview with Pam! I have my certification! I registered with Yoga Alliance! I am officially a RYT200! So lookout 500, I'm lookin at you next. I'm proud of myself. I did it and now I'm actually teaching. Its been a great journey and I can't wait to see where it takes me.