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Reflections on NASPA Orlando
This past week I travelled to the annual National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) conference in Orlando, Florida. Seven years ago I attended my first national conference also in Florida. At that conference I was a first year graduate student in a sea of over ten thousand attendees. That experience was incredibly overwhelming, I knew no one, was involved in nothing, and had no idea what sessions to attend. I spent most of that conference in my room, and only came out to get food and attend a session that I found particularly interesting. It was definitely not a good conference experience and made me question if involvement was right for me.
Six conferences have past since that day and I have not missed one. My second conference experience was much better because I took a volunteer position on a committee and presented. I was also actively job searching so I started to get to know other participants in the conference. Additionally, it helped that the conference was in Boston, a city I could walk around. Unlike Orlando I felt much less trapped and able to explore on my own. Since that time I have been to Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Arizona, each conference better than the last. In Arizona I was an award winner and that was an experience all to itself. You can see that post here.
Though last year was a great experience, this year was one where I really felt like a full fledged part of the organization. The reason behind this feeling is active involvement. There is a big difference to me between going to a conference and participating in one. I am a networker through doing, not one through meeting. This means that I will get to know people and develop relationships through the work that I accomplish. At this conference I had all sorts of things to do. I was a member of the regional advisory board, a leader in the knowledge communities, and a member of the 2014 regional conference committee.
All of these activities shifted my experience and brought me to meetings, gatherings, and fun receptions. The difference between this year and last was that I have now served on the board for a full year. I am no longer building new relationships, rather growing ones that already exist. Walking through the conference I was never too far away from someone I knew which makes you feel much more engaged in the conference activities. I also was able to attend over a half dozen receptions, some that had full meals and great conversation. I have never been so busy at a conference and yet so content and energized. As my friend Renee said on Monday night, “If you’re whole body hurts, you know you did NASPA right”.
There is also something to be said about being at my second campus and my second job. With a significant portion of new professionals leaving the field after 3-5 years it feels good to be at the entry point to mid-level, people definitely treat you differently. It seems like an unspoken statement of “Ok, you’re here to stay so lets chat”. This may be something to think about moving forward because a lack of acknowledgment and connections could be one reason why people leave. From now on I will make it my business to help new professionals and first time attendees feel connected to the association. I think I also felt much more confident sitting on boards with people at much higher positions now that I am at my second step. Lastly, being at a new campus means that reconnecting with past colleagues is a new adventure. Spending Tuesday night with friends from UCR was great fun, just like spending other meals with friends from graduate school. It is amazing to see where we are all going and what is in store for us in the future.
The last fun thing at the Orlando conference was running into and reconnecting with past employees and others you have helped over the years. I was able to sit down with an old Resident Advisor who worked for me for two years, went to graduate school, and was job searching. It was amazing to see her growth over the past few years and it truly demonstrates the value of the work we do. It was my first “Full circle” experience, and definitely not the last. Additionally, I ran into someone who sat in one of my presentations at a difference conference in my second professional year. He told me that my work with student training molded the programs they did at his campus over the next few years. He said that they pulled out my documents each year to make sure they followed the guidelines to success. It is amazing to see your creations impact campuses in other states in such dramatic ways. Another reason why I know this work is for me.
At the end of the day, the conference is just the pinnacle of each year’s work in NASPA. The more you volunteer and the more good work you do, the better your annual conference experience will be. Over the next year I will continue to serve on the board and see where that involvement takes me. If anything it will help me meet even more people and develop more relationships so that the Baltimore conference will surpass Orlando. Eventually babies may join the party but I’m ready for that change to come and add a new nuance to the conference adventure. Until next year!
I’m So Hungry! Training and Weight Loss
As per the norm, when moving to a new city about seven months ago, I gained about 15 pounds. The issue of stress eating compounded by a lack of training and races due to an impending knee surgery had me break the 190 mark for the first time in 8 years. At 5’7 on a good day, this weight equaled a very bad thing. Deciding to train for a triathlon was a way to force myself to lose some weight but the sheer amount of training appears to make it somewhat difficult. Racing at 170 or lower would make a huge difference but I am struggling to get there despite the 15+ hours of exercise each week. Here are some reasons why:
1. I love carbohydrates. LOVE them. This past week I ate pizza, pasta, and/or bread at almost every meal. I need to figure out how to add more lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables into my diet so that I am full longer and stop eating so much bread. I used to have a meal plan where salad was always available, now lunch consists of peanut butter and jelly 3+ times a week. Something needs to give and it is up to me to make that change. At the end of the day purchasing and bringing more salads to work should help me get through the day.
2. Working in student affairs is also a difficulty. We have programs and events almost everyday and you can’t have a program without food. Healthy food is generally not on the menu and when you do get healthy options they are usually just carrots and dip. Candy and other sweets are usually available at a moments notice and throughout the day very hard to regulate. Since I control the food in one area I need to make sure that I provide healthy options not only to control my diet but to help students make good choices as well.
3. Calorie overcompensation is probably the biggest issue in my world. Not only am I super hungry after a long or hard training session, I tend to eat poorly and eat a lot. While I may feel hunger like Michael Phelps after a 30 mile bike ride, I do not even come close to burning the same amount of calories he does in training. It is also unhelpful that calorie monitors on apps and in gyms are horrible. They overestimate your calorie burn and add in calories you would have burned remaining sedentary. After a training session I will normally come home and eat whatever I can justifying the caloric intake any way I can. This is only because I am hungry and not because I need it so I need to learn to slow down and let my mind/body balance reconnect and realize I am not as hungry as I think. Also, I need to eat smart and not turn to bread immediately.
These issues have made it really difficult for me to lose weight during training and did the same when I trained for the marathon last year. While my fitness is increasing dramatically, it would be that much better if I was shedding fat as well. At a lower, healthier weight, I will also lower my risk for a repeat injury. As I continue along the last 10 weeks of training, I need to develop the following habits that can stick with me after the race:
1. Eat a healthy breakfast, preferably a smoothie. In a smoothie I can control the calorie levels and supplement my protein intake. Also, since they are cold, it takes longer to consume a smoothie which will allow me to feel full without needing to turn to bread.
2. Buy and eat more fruits and vegetables. Simple but for some reason quite difficult.
3. Substitute salads for sandwiches at lunch. Add some turkey on top of the greens to get protein or even a little cheese but cut out the bread to make a big impact.
4. Drink water then shower after a training run. Hopefully that 15 min delay plus water will help offset the ravenous feelings. Sometimes I think I mistake dehydration for hunger and this should help the issue.
5. Stop eating at every student affairs program. This is a hard one but so necessary. I can try to bring my own snacks so at least I can eliminate desire while still being health conscious.
6. Drink more water overall. The more water I drink, the longer my stomach will be full. This should manage some of my eating habits.
7. Get more sleep. If I am rested I will have more energy throughout the day and will not need to rely so much on food for energy boosts.
8. Keep track of my weight. I am not a daily scale user but once a week at the same time each week will give me a better gauge on progress than my normal sporadic and rare meetings with the scale.
9. Be realistic. I love bread, pizza, and pasta. That will not change. I just need to moderate my intake and keep less trigger foods in the house.
10. Be forgiving. There will be good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks. With a training and food blog there will be days like last Saturday when I eat horribly in San Francisco. This is ok, I just need to make sure I plan to compensate when those days inevitably happen.
If I can stick to the plan I will hopefully hit my sub 170 target weight on race day and be able to keep myself at a healthy level between competitions.
What helps you lose or maintain a healthy weight while training?
Review: Big & Little’s
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On my final day in Chicago a few months back I was able to stop by Big & Little’s Restaurant. This place was on Tripple D and I have been wanting to eat their food ever since. Big & Little’s is a interesting blend of a corner burger place and a high end bistro. I was extremely excited to try what they had to offer. When I arrived a only had to wait in line for a short time but that was only because I missed the rush. Only a few minutes later and I would have been in the line out the door so lucky me. I was also lucky that I had some cash on me since they do not take cards. I ordered right from the dishes on the show, I mean who could pass up on pork belly and foie gras?
I only had to wait a few minutes for my food to arrive and I used that time to charge my dying phone. Soon I was sitting in front of two awesome looking dishes. First on the menu was a pork belly po-boy. Overflowing on a bun were over a dozen pieces of pork belly perfectly cooked, fatty, and gloriously greasy. Each bite of pork was unbelievably flavorful and paired extremely well with the crunchy pickles. The lettuce below the pickles was also a good addition. Since the pork belly was decadent, as expected, the crisp lettuce helped to cut through the richness and allowed me to keep eating. Lastly, the bread was chewy and tied the entire sandwich together in a nice package. I think the best thing of this sandwich and the next dish was how generous they were with the expensive ingredients. With a pork belly po-boy I think I would have been happy with half the amount of pork they gave me but I’ll never turn down more.
Perfectly cooked pork belly
Now if the richness of a pork belly po-boy was not enough, the next dish put me over the edge. I was literally sweating when I finished but it was so worth it to try the foie gras french fries. There were really only two ingredients in this dish but what a combo! Who would have thought that you could pair the decadence of goose liver with the humbleness of fried potatoes. Definitely a knife and fork kind of side dish. Basically, though the foie gras was served in large pieces, it made sense to smooth it out into some sort of a condiment for the fries. Ketchup just didn’t seem appropriate. The look of it after doing that was not picture worthy but it surely made the fries delicious! This was my second foray into foie gras and definitely a much better experience.
So rich and tasty!
Big & Little’s Restaurant is an unassuming little place with some big bold flavors. One of my all time favorite meals and no service or ambiance to bump up the experience. They rest on their flavors and that is definitely not a bad thing. I was more than happy to spend upwards of $30 for my meal of rich and decadent items paired with street food favorites. I would stop by again without hesitation and try their other po-boys. The oyster po-boy especially. Next time you are in Chicago or if you are there right now run to Big & Little’s, you won’t be disappointed!
Overall Review: 9/10
Take a look at the Big menu for their Little place here
Review: Kopp’s Frozen Custard
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On the way back to Chicago from a wedding my friends Renee, Gavin, and I stopped by Kopp’s to grap some burgers and frozen custard. Kopp’s is mostly a fast food place with upscale custard. When we arrived I was super excited to see that one of the specials was grasshopper fudge custard! We ordered our food and, once we received it, took up residence on a bench around the corner of the restaurant. I first ate the burger which was pretty good. It was a relatively standard with a thin patty with thick cut vegetables and a chewy bun. It tasted good but it was not the reason I came to Kopp’s.
The vegetables are so thick you can’t even see the patty
After finishing the burger I dove into the custard. Grasshopper Fudge is everything I like in ice cream. Mint and chocolate custard with fudge swirled into the mix. This was the first time I ever had frozen custard and it will not be the last. The custard was an interesting combination thick and creamy. I could take the cup, turn it upside down, and the custard did not move at all. Yet when I took a bite it was probably the smoothest dessert I had aside from pudding. The mint sang through and balanced extremely well with the chocolate. Each spoonful also brought a little fudge to the table which added to the richness of the entire cup. I polished off my cup of custard without any hesitation and could have gone back for more.
It just looks creamy and delicious!
I am glad that I finally made it to Kopp’s, the custard was everything it was made out to be. The burger was good but definitely not the star of the show. I imagine that is why it is not called Kopp’s Burgers and Custard. Next time you are in Wisconsin you should swing by and hope they have grasshopper fudge on the menu. You will not be disappointed!
Overall Review: 7/10
Check out all of Kopp’s custard options here
One Word 365: Parenthood
A bunch of my student affairs friends posted about this Oneword365 idea. Oneword365 is a concept where you decide on a single word that will dictate your choices and plans for an entire year. This was an intriguing idea, no resolutions, just a word. This word, used as a test for all actions throughout the year; a measure to which your life can be judged. While I am involved in a variety of interests, over this next year there is one thing that must direct my choices. That one thing is my Oneword365: Parenthood.
About midway through this year, Virginia and I will be blessed to welcome our first child into our family. In a twelve month period of huge change, becoming a father will undoubtedly be the biggest. Not just this year but in my entire thirty years. Knowing that in a few months I will be responsible for the wellbeing of another human being is both exciting and terrifying. It is on my mind all the time so it seemed only natural to get out in front of the fear and embrace what will become my most important role in my life. Learning to be a good parent and make decisions outside of myself is critical yet I must make sure that I am a man my children respect and want to emulate.
The following are a few examples in the next year that my One Word, Parenthood, will impact:
1. Health: A parent’s health is essential in the development of healthy children. I want to make sure that my children see a father who is excited about fitness and can achieve goals that they could strive towards. Yes, I love to race in mud runs, and yes I want to prove that I can run marathons and triathlons but now it is something more. I want to be fit so I can run with my kids without getting tired. I want to coach their sports teams. I want them to run, bike, swim, and compete with me. I want them to be at the finish line when I complete an Ironman Triathlon and be proud of their dad. Now it is more than just me and I have a real reason to succeed and stay fit: Parenthood
2. Finances: With our jobs at the UC we are lucky to be able to live comfortable lives. We have been able to travel, fly around, visit family, and by fun presents for each other. We have no will, real financial plan, proper beneficiary set-up, or large levels of cash savings. While I am “cheap” as Virginia will tell you, we do spend a surprising amount of money on non-essential things. This year we need to get smarter about what we do, where we go, and how we spend. We need to meet with a financial planner, get our investments in order, write a will, and reevaluate how we spend our money. Now we even need to start saving for college, yes 18 years in advance. We also need to make sure that we continue to donate to the things we care about to eventually demonstrate to our kids that giving back in time and money is very important.
3. Home Ownership: Should we rent or should we by a house? What is most important for our family in the next 5-10 years? How long will we stay in Merced? Will we be able to sell if we move? These are all questions that can be evaluated against the idea of Parenthood. This will be a huge decision that will come up in the next few months so stay tuned.
4. Parenting Choices: Virginia need to sit down and decide major things about how we want to raise our kids. From observation of others we have seen things that we want to do and things we don’t. in the next few months of this year we really need to talk and thing about major choices when it comes to our kids. Childcare, education, faith, family, discipline…ect. These are all things we need to agree upon before and after the baby arrives. No biggie, right?
These are just a few things that will come up this year and some of the major life choices we need to make. The word, Parenthood, will be first an foremost in any decision that I make and will hopefully allow me to begin this new journey in a positive and impactful way. So here we go with my Oneword365.
Parenthood
2012 in Review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 10,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 17 years to get that many views.
Review: Pizzeria Bianco
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While waiting for my flight to leave Phoenix, I stopped in at Pizzeria Bianco with my friend Renee. This pizzeria is a transplant right out of Italy with it’s own wood oven right in the dining room. I love seeing pizzerias set up like that, it is just a lot of fun to watch them cook your pizza only a few feet from your table. Take a look at what we got to see:
Prior to chowing down on pizza I had to order my first recommended dish, the Spiedini, Italian fontina cheese wrapped in prosciutto. The wrapped cheese was then skewered and cooked to be served nice and warm. Probably better than the pizza, this dish may be the best thing I’ve eaten in Phoenix. The cheese was warm and creamy and the deliciously salty flavor was layered along side the crispy and salty sweet prosciutto. Often salt on salt is too much but this combo just worked perfectly and kept me coming back for more. If I hadn’t already ordered my pizza I might have just went with a few more orders of the cheese and called it a day. It really was that good.
Mmmm Cheesy!
A few minutes after our appetizers, my pizza arrived. I broke my own rule and ordered a pizza without a red sauce because it was the other reccomended dish off my restaurant list. The Rosa pizza consisted of some of my favorite ingredients so I felt like it was ok to deviate from my norms. First it had a wonderful crust on which to build. Thin and crispy with a bubbly crust, but what would you expect from a super hot wood fire oven. The toppings started with cooked down red onions, and unlike Mr. Scott Conant, I love me some red onions. The bite of the onions was balanced out by the cheeses especially the fresh Parmesan. The last topping and by far the least likely on a pizza were the pistachio nuts. The great thing is that I love pistachios also! All of these ingredients mixed together on a pizza created a depth of flavor that made me happy to have taken the risk. I would definitely reccomend this pizza to people who want to stray from the norm but in the end the prosciutto wrapped fontina skewers significantly out shined the pizza.
Take that Conant, onions everywhere!
Overall our meal at Pizzeria Bianco was a memorable one. Not much I could complain about. The service was good, the ambiance was like most pizzerias and the food was on point. I could eat that appetizer every day, too bad I don’t live nearby. Next time you are in town and want some quality pizza on the western side of the country, check out Pizzeria Bianco.
Overall Review: 7/10
Take a look at the menu here
A Day to Be Thankful
While you should be thankful for what you have everyday of the year, I think that Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity for reflection and evaluation of where you are in life and how you got there. This year, these are the things I am thankful for and, more importantly, the reasons why:
1. My Health…specifically my health plan: Regardless of your political affiliation of reasons why or how to fix it, it is undeniable that many people can’t access or can’t afford quality health care. This year, I needed knee surgery in order to allow me to continue running and racing for the next few decades. It was important to me and took a lot of appointments, tests, and finally an out patient surgical procedure. After all was said and done, this surgery was done by a quality surgeon and cost me under $100. I am thankful to have an employer that provides me many health care options at extremely affordable prices so that when issues arise I can take care of them without fear. It is my hope that soon all Americans can say the same.
2. My Family…specifically Virginia: With our move up to Merced, CA to work at UCM this summer it is once again apparent that I am lucky to have a partner who is willing to take so many leaps of faith for our future. I imagine that if you would have asked her in her junior year of college if, in four years, she would be packing up and moving to California, she would have laughed in your face. In truth when I was job searching at the end of grad school California was the state she completely rejected. I am thankful that when the time comes to make life path decisions she is open and willing to keep taking these leaps of faith that take us to places and jobs we never expected. I am even more thankful that she never forgets to remind me to stop thinking 10 years down the road and to focus on the present and doesn’t get too upset when I only listen 10% of the time.
3. My Job…specifically doing what I love to do: Not everyone can say with confidence that, in this moment, they are doing exactly what that want to do at work. I am thankful that I have the privilege to come to work every day and do exactly what I want to be doing. I don’t wake up each day dreading what’s to come, I wake up with the opportunity to build a leadership program at a new campus and develop student leaders at every level. I also work for a department and a division that provides flexibility, autonomy, and encouragement for professional development. All three things I need to be happy and successful.
4. Financial Security: While it is true that working in education is not the highest paying gig, we can safely say that we are financially secure. This is extremely important to me since we want to buy a house, start a family, and travel to see our relatives all around the country. I am thankful that Virginia deals with my crazy financial schemes and budgets because, in the end, it helps us do all the things that make us happy. I am even more thankful for our parents and grandparents who have worked hard all their lives to help us establish ourselves and build a life that is happy and healthy. This is something I will not forget and is important for future generations of Lerers.
5. Food: Where we are in life, I am thankful that we can afford to eat every day. Millions of children and adults right here in the country can not say the same. On this Thanksgiving day of socially acceptable overeating this fact is even more apparent. It is the responsibility of those of us who have to give back to those who don’t. No one should have to go hungry today or any day and we can all do our part to help. You can start by donating as little as $5 to my Feeding America donation page. Not only will you feel good about yourself, you will benefit from a portion of my massive list of great restaurants across the country.
So that is my 2012 Thankful list. What are you thankful for? Comment below and tell me why.
Review: Tuck Shop
***Note: If you like this post and want to receive parts of my list, click here to donate to my fund and help me leave No Kid Hungry***
In Phoenix we decided to go a bit off the path and check out the Tuck Shop. This restaurant is located in outside neighborhood of Phoenix and we definitely were a little confused when driving down blocks of homes. The Tuck Shop just sort of pops up on you and looks like it could be a large home. But don’t let outside appearances fool you, the inside was cool and sleek and the food was no joke.
I was there with three other people and so we were able to try a bunch of appetizers. Our waiter was the type I always hope for, friendly and with great depth of knowledge of all the dishes on the menu. Based on his recommendations we ordered the cheese curds, the grilled baguette with roasted garlic, the roasted brussel sprouts, and the piece de resistance the stuffed Medjool dates. All of these appetizers were awesome! The baguette literally came with an entire garlic bulb in olive oil and was incredible. The garlic was roasted to perfection and spread like butter over the toasted bread. The brussel sprouts were also really delicious, they were lightly charred and caramelized with a delicious white wine and mustard glaze. The nice addition were the crushed almonds, they brought additional crunch and texture to the dish.
Without a doubt though, the best appetizer was the recommended dish from Best Food Ever on the Travel Channel. The stuffed Medjool dates were filled with a combination of chorizo and gruyere chesse and cooked to a sweet finish. The sweetness of the date was balanced by the spicy chorizo and the cheese made the entire dish creamy and long lasting on the palette. These dates were the best things I ate that night and possibly the best dish I have tried in Phoenix to date. Check out some pictures:
Baguette and Roasted Garlic
Cheesy Cheese Curds
Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Almonds
Wonderful Stuffed Dates!
After our appetizers I moved on to my dinner order. Unfortunately, they did not have the recommended fontina stuffed meatloaf so I went with two other options. First, the Times Mac & Cheese with crispy prosciutto, breadcrumbs, and oh yeah, the up-charge of $4 for some lobstah! Not just lobster, lobstah…hipsters. The mac and cheese was creamy with al dente pasta. The prosciutto added the needed salt to the dish and well, yeah there was lobster. Cooked well and really tasty but I’m not entirely sure I’m sold on the combo. I know that the trend is out there to make this down home dish high class but I think you can make it decadent without adding lobster. But this is coming from the guy who had a caviar mix-in for his mashed potato bar at his wedding, so who am I to judge.
Lobstah!
My last dish was the big recommendation from our waiter, the Pine AZ skirt steak. Those who know me well know that I am a sucker for shirts steak and mashed potatoes. Skirt steak was one of my favorite mom cooked dishes so I am a good judge. This steak was rubbed with a dry rub and then cooked in its own juices. It arrived super tender to the point where a knife was almost unneeded. Topping the steak were sauteed mushrooms that added a nice earthiness to the dish. Along side the steak were creamy parmesan mashed potatoes which added some needed salt to the entree. Each individual piece of this dish worked well individually and combined and I was more then happy to try them each way. This was a great recommendation by our server and even though I had so much before it, I had no problem cleaning my plate.
The Tuck Shop was a great choice for our dinner that night even if it was a bit of a trek from our hotel. Next time I am in Phoenix I will go back again and I recommend that you check it out too. Great service, nice decor, and good food made for a memorable dinner.
Overall Review: 7/10
Take a look at the Tuck Shop here
Why Knee Surgery is Good For Workaholics
For the past four years (and my whole life) I have been a workaholic and a busybody. Every weekend was something else, a conference, a retreat, or a campus event. Even weekends when we were off I tried to get as much done as possible because who knew when I’d have another free day. I spent those days building furniture, cleaning, hanging stuff, riding and running miles, or going somewhere. Not even vacations were relaxing because they were spent trying to suck as much activities out of the vacation location as possible. Moving to Merced made it even worse. We have been here for three months and I have yet to sit still. Never did it cross my mind to just do nothing; in fact the idea of doing nothing was scary. This weekend changed all of that because knee surgery forced the issue.
For the past 9 months I have needed knee surgery but moving and insurance issues had postponed the procedure. Finally, after almost two months of weekend events at UC Merced, I had a weekend to do the surgery. This past Thursday I went in for a 17 minute procedure that would keep me immobile for 4 days. Though I was really scared going in to the operating room and don’t like the look of my shaved leg, this necessary surgery was a blessing in disguise. Since it hurts to walk and I am sufficiently doped up on Vicodin for the pain, I have done absolutely nothing for the past 72 hours, and it has been glorious.
I got home Thursday at 4:30pm and took over my place on the couch which would be my home until Monday. Bella decided that it would be important to help so she took up residency as well.
So here is what I did since I got home:
Thursday night:
- Ate pizza and garlic bread
- Took pain killers
- Iced knee
- Relaxed on the couch and watched movies
- Woke up, felt dizzy and nauseous…not so fun
Friday:
- Ate leftover pizza
- Took pain killers, many times
- Iced knee
- Dozed on and off
- Watched tons of TV
- Read a book
- Ate Chinese food
Saturday:
- More pain killers, feeling better and very relaxed
- Iced knee
- Ate leftover chinese food
- Watched 12 hours of College Football go RU!!!
- Ate assorted snacks in “Get Better” bag from my office
It was at this point that Bella exhausted herself in her Dad protection mode
Sunday:
- Took off the leg wrap
- Showered!!!
- Took only a few pain killers (Ok, that’s not entirely accurate)
- Walked a little
- Watched 12 episodes of Triple D and more football
- Went out to dinner with Virginia’s Mom and Angel
As I wrap up this recovery with another day of TV on Monday and go back to work on Tuesday I have to say that these were the most relaxing days I have had in recent history. I had no concerns about getting work done, I was not anxious about working out. I knew that physically accomplishing tasks would be impossible so my body just gave in and relaxed (with a little medicinal assistance). I feel so rested and ready to go back to work that it gets me thinking about balance. We talk so often about finding balance but in those conversations it is almost always about finding something else to occupy your time when you are not working. This thing is usually a hobby, an exercise, a sport, or a task but perhaps for balance sometimes all you need is to spend some time doing absolutely nothing. Even if you don’t meditate, a day on the couch with no worries can go a very long way. We shouldn’t feel bad about that and we definitely shouldn’t need to have knee surgery to force the issue.
Here’s to taking some time every so often to just relax and be lazy, it can work wonders. Hopefully you can do it without doctors orders. Good thing though that I might need surgery on my other knee pretty soon. Just something to look forward to.
