Maintenance

     This week is all about maintaining an equilibrium.  It's all about balance this week! Balancing food, exercise, activities, and thoughts.  As the snow begins to thaw everyone is acting like it's spring already... time to buy seeds, plants, potting soil etc.  In actuality we still have winter to navigate through.  Even the cats are begging to spend time outdoors.  I know that my ladies spring break is right around the corner but I have to rein it in and be productive this week so I can approach March without the panic mode setting in.  This will be the week that I print out festival lineups, maps, and travel plans.  Time to gather information so the trip goes smoothly. 
#prep~24 days....OMG....OMG...OMG

Dichotomy

Presently my life is feeling like two parts rolled into one.  Outside my window is 10 inches of snow and wind.  Inside I am holding on to the warmth of summer and also of the visualization of the Runaway Country trip to come.  I love the Colorado snow as much as I love the beach time of warmer climates.  Perhaps it's the differences that allows one to enjoy all the aspects of life. 

Looks official!

Flying checklist

Flight reminders are starting to pop up on my emails.  Yep, the time for the ladies trip is getting closer and closer.  Yesterday I actually checked the coastline map of Florida.  I am trying to figure out how many driving miles/hours are involved once we land in the Sunny South!  Also, I am starting to jot down what I need for my actual flight.  Of course the book I am reading will be done... but I do have my ipad, games, magazines, music, and noise cancelling headphones. The noise cancelling headphones have literally saved me from crying babies, arguments, singing, and extremely loud engine noises. I hate to be the person that doesn't want to discuss your personal life on the plane (I love drama as well as the next person) but the headphones are worth every penny dollar spent on them.  Once I add my inflight free drink tickets and a scarf that serves as a blanket or shawl too... I will be all set.  Soooo.... watch out Runaway Country ~ here I come!
# prep...27days

1 month & 1 day...... that's all there is to say today!

Thoughts

      Today has been an extremely thoughtful day.  Not sure if this is because of the pending cold and snow or if it's the prep for the week or the "back to normal" attitude.  This "back to normal" after such a wonderful weekend was the first concept that got me thinking.  After life events of any magnitude, good or bad, people go through different stages.  One of these is "back to normal".  I find that I am one of those that sort of do this... always striving to get "back to routine or back to normal".  While this is an OK strategy, I am now finding this limiting.  It has been a habitual response for so many years and has served me well in the past, but now I realize that I don't necessarily need to revert to this behavior.  By utilizing the "back to normal/routine" I am always striving for status quo.  It's now time to actually use these events to enrich my life or to make me stronger rather than the idea... well... now back to normal.  I am talking about keeping the foundation but adding new activities, feelings, ideas, and energy layered on top of the "back to normal/routine".  Maybe it's just a conscious awareness of the parts of my life that have become routine and if those routines are still benefiting my life. 

Reinforcements

      This last weekend reinforcements were imported to help with the festival prep!  One of my DD's arrived for a weekend of good food, entertainment, drinking, and shopping.  Awesome!  It was sort of a mini crash course on partying for two and a half days! I like to use the excuse that I was building stamina for the music festival, however, the food was excellent, the wine superb, and shopping was productive.  Sooo...not sure it helped for outdoor port-a-potties, beer, fast greasy food, loud music, crowds, and hot sun.  But, I did buy new tennis shoes for nonstop walking and dancing so that should count for something!

#festival prep~1month, 2days

 

Rock Lobster

      

     Thinking ahead to the warmth of Florida, I realize that my pasty white skin probably needs super protection. This is learning from past experiences.  Shorty after getting married to my DH we went to Florida with my SIL and were..... soooooo .... excited about the warmth, the sun, and the beach that we spent the entire day lounging on our towels and chairs soaking up every bit of the sun that we could.  Coming from overcast Ohio we were totally dreaming of glowing tanned bodies.  You guessed it!  The next day the back of my body was so burnt that I couldn't even move.  I should have started investing in Aloe right then because I have utilized bottles of it ever since.  Learning rather quickly that everyone else tans and I just burn and peel was a harsh lesson in life.  Now I pack 50spf, umbrellas, and assorted hats and shirts whenever I am in the sun.  I sort of look like the little kid bundled in layers of snow clothes where they are so round that they can't move (picture Roley the little round dalmatian in the Disney movie) except I'm the little old lady wrapped in layers of cloth slathered in sunscreen.  I sort of fit in at a festival because there are so many strange people that everyone just goes ...eehhh, shrugs and moves on.  However in this instance, everyone may be mostly bare except me.  Just watch for the the sun umbrella made from red solo cups and you'll find me rockin with the best of them!!!! 

#festival prep ~1month-8days

Inner Warrior meets Inner Goddess

 
        Festival prep has begun.  Looking at the "marathon"ahead there are certain areas that will ensure a good time!  First one is ENERGY.  Having been to several festivals in my past I have realized that one of the biggest factors (besides crowds) is the distance required to cover multiple stages and events. Taking into account that somehow I have let my good intentions of "staying in shape" lag, I have come to the conclusion that I should be working out... at least a little bit!  After all, if I want to sprint (highly unlikely) to another stage to catch two acts overlapping, I need to have a certain amount of stamina.  Plan B would be to just drink and forget about moving... which is always a viable option! My Inner Warrior is stoked that I have decided to become a regular at yoga and the elliptical machine again... while my Inner Goddess is saying.. What?????? Shouldn't we just go shopping and buy cute makeup and clothes??????  Sooooo.... yes... the Inner Warrior is pumped and some exercise will happen....after all it does increase the quality of life, but I am aware that 39 days will not make me the cutie in the bikini body with a halter top soaking up the Florida sun.  Here's hoping I rock the music in the fashion that people aren't taking pictures of me as the "bad example of what not to look like!". (No I will not wear a solo cup bra!)  Here's to the stickers on my calendar showing which days I have exercised... and to the energy generated to make the most of my festival adventure!
#Prep1 month 9 days

Countdown ~ 1 Month, 11 days

The countdown has begun for the Girl's weekend at Runaway Country!  This is a three day country music festival in Florida.  Not sure how it all started, but all of a sudden we all had airline reservations, hotel reservations, and three day passes.  Of course it is now a milestone that we are all looking forward to and specifically getting ready for.  Music festivals are a "marathon and not a sprint" so they do take some planning.  The days of grabbing a swim suit and heading off to Florida for five days is long gone for this group... or at least a portion of this group.  Interesting enough is the level of prep each person is concerned with at the moment.  Some are focusing on boots, some on chairs, some on coolers, some on transportation, some on clothes, and some on just how to pull the whole thing off with the least amount of stress!  Staying at a hotel instead of camping is a great relief... we will have a pool, breakfast, beds, and showers.  This fact alone makes the trip two parts... vacation resort and festival excitement.  The relaxation of showers, bed and pool... along with great music and festival fun is setting the stage for a terrific adventure.  The countdown and pregame prep has begun!!!!!

Flash From the Past

This is a repost.... thanks to everyone that commented... I'm starting again!!

I've decided that life is like the soccer ball section of the wii fit where they kick soccer balls at you along with shoes and pandas that you are to dodge. Life sends events at you and you go for it and meet most of them head on and feel terrific. Every now and then you get hit with an event which you are supposed to avoid but somehow get hit. What's important is how you handle being blindsided or hit with something you can't control. You can drop, mope, feel sorry for yourself, complain, or you can rebound and go for the next challenge. Right now I'm going for the challenge!!!!!!

I'm Back!!!!!!

I haven't blogged in a few years and don't even know if I remember how to do this but.... Since I have stumbled across some of my comments encouraging me to continue... I will venture into the Wacky World of Blogging again!

Each and every one of us has experienced life and those experiences have shaped our perceptions of how we see the world.  Usually just as I start to think I have a handle on my life, something else pops up to cause me to go Whoa! What was that?  It's those types of experiences that are frightening, exciting, sad, scary, unsettling, and enriching. Those Wacky Experiences take me out of my comfort zone and make me live outside the box... even if it's only in my mind!