Twitter: It's not that serious

I use to spend a lot of time on Twitter talking about everything from sports to news. I still talk about those things but less and less I find myself reading everyone's Tweets. Somehow Twitter lost it's romance, newness, excitement for me and honestly, I got tired of the constant fights. It's twitter, it's not that serious! So I decided I would make a list of 10 things that are more serious than Twitter. Ready?

1. Finding a cure for cancer. Duh!

2. Peace in the Middle East, Russia, okay basically everywhere.

3. A really GOOD chocolate chip cookie. I mean REALLY good.

4. Coffee because 95% of the Earth's population or at least that of the US need it to function.

5. Finding a really good pair of workout shoes.

6. Building relationships with people you actually know.

7. The never ending debate over Whataburger or In n Out. I mean, come on folks, this is huge!

8. The office pool on just how gray Pres. Obama's hair will get in the next two years. Come on, you have one, right?

9. Determining once and for all what's better: Cats or Dogs. Put me down on the dogs side having had both.

10. Learning to laugh at yourself.

Ok, there ya go! I hope you all are part of the smart 80% of Twitter users and you know not to take things that don't matter and people you don't know so seriously.

Have a happy day!




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Remembering the Greatest Generation and Grandpa

While we were able to enjoy our freedom this long weekend at beautiful places like Lewisville Lake, my honey and I started chatting about the disappearing World War II vets and it started me thinking.

I was born in 1970 which means every parade I went to growing up had veterans from WWII and Korea and because there was so much trauma still surrounding it, very few Vietnam vets.

A lot has been said about the Greatest Generation. World War II veterans shaped this country, possibly in a way no others have. It was the last war where lines were really clear and at least now, everything about that time seems just a little romantic.

My grandfather was a medic in the Pacific theater. The war shaped his life in ways only a veteran would truly understand. He would never own a Japanese made vehicle. He could never really get past Pearl Harbor and the things he saw in combat. When I was little, I thought grandpa was the smartest man on earth because he knew just what to do when I was hurt to fix me. I didn't realize that was his military training as a medic taking over.

When I told my grandpa about the World War II monument he thought it was a silly idea. "Nobody cares" he said. I tried to tell him everyone cared but I think back on it now and I realize, that was just the way that generation thought. They didn't do anything special in their eyes. They just did what had to be done. It didn't matter either, who they were. Major League Baseball players and Movie Stars alike went to war. I have a hard time thinking of today's spoiled athletes or tree hugging movie stars wanting to volunteer for anything unless a camera was there to get a good PR shot.

When they came back they did nothing less than get back to work and build a lot of homes and factories and farms. It's hard not to feel a little sad knowing every year there are fewer and fewer WWII vets left. It's sad to think of life without them when we owe them so much but what we owe them most is to fix the messes of their kids, our parents. I will never forget the day my grandfather said to me "It's your problem now. I'm done worrying about it. You vote and you fix this mess."

I always do, grandpa. I hope you know that. I always vote even though most of the time I don't like anyone. I wish there were more good men who did what had to be done left.

My grandfather passed away almost 6 years ago but no Memorial Day holiday goes by that doesn't see me put out the flag because I didn't forget.



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Enjoy the Ride!

Simply,
Laura

Drama Break: How to take one?

Lately everywhere I turn there is drama. Work is just stressful with a ton going on constantly and being short handed. I am trying to pick up some of the slack so the employees I have aren't as stressed.

My job has a certain amount of stress anyway. I am constantly dealing with life changing accidents or life taking accidents. People would think you become immune to tragedy but that only works if you manage to keep a distance from the situation. Once you start putting faces to names, families to faces, and identify with the loss, you can easily get wrapped up in the tragedy. Distance is necessary but there is always a loss that sneaks up on me and causes me to pause and sometimes even shut my door and cry. I'm human.

I am finally getting close to listing my house and I am so nervous. This is by far the scariest thing I have ever done. I'm not afraid of moving but afraid of not finding a house at the same time we sell. How do you do that? So much stress!

There are other dramas that seem to pop up. A family issue here a friend problem there that come out of the blue and make my life instantly nuts so....I have decided to take a Memorial Day Drama Break!

What do I mean? Well, first there are a couple of topics of conversation that are completely off limits. For example, we are going to spend time working on the house we have but no time thinking about a house we want but don't. Too much stress.

We are going to live in the present and not worry about what is going on 3,6, or 12 months from today no matter how important 12 months from today may be in the future.

Even though we plan on getting work done this weekend we are also going to find time to relax and have fun. We are going to run away with a fishing pole and a bunch of bait and see what happens.

I am taking a social media break. Yes, I am. I am going Twitter and Facebook free starting at 8pm Friday. The phone is going bye-bye.

So, if you text me trying to annoy me this weekend, don't be surprised if I don't answer until Tuesday.

I hope you all have a drama free holiday and please do not drink and drive. I don't want to be dealing with your face in one of my files after the holiday.


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Confession of a Bad Sports Fan

Have you ever noticed how much your life can change over a years time? Last year I knew every pitcher and every player on the Texas Rangers. This year when I watch the game I often find myself saying 'Who's that?' and it isn't just because they have so many injured players. I have a confession. Sports are no longer the sole driving force in my life.

It's true. I have other things going on and sports has become so secondary that half the time I don't even make it to the end of the game before I fall asleep. Often I wake up in the middle of the night and check my phone to see of we won and lately, because we have been losing so much, I haven't even bothered.

It's not that I don't still love them. I do. Life however has a way of taking priority and the people in my life need me to be present in the moment and not watching TV or checking my phone and what I have learned in the last few months is that you can't replace the people in your life that need you and you can't take them for granted. So, if I have to pick between spending time with my nieces and doing crafts with them or watching a baseball game, the kids win. If I have to pick between my guy and getting some time in on a project for the future on the house or land and the Ballgame, he wins.

I have years to watch ball games and they watch them with me. They go with me to the Ballpark but the moments that can't be replaced are the special times we have riding a tractor, fishing, baking cookies, or painting t-shirts.

I still love you Rangers! Now quit sucking.



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Physical Exhausted or Mentally Tired

Stress beats me sometimes but mostly because my job is no piece of cake. I deal with situations where people's lives may be irreversibly altered by tragedy. I also manage a group of diverse personalities with a whole set of unique qualities of their own. Doing this while being all too human is a struggle. I mean, my own life challenges can't interrupt my work life because there is just too much to deal with.

So yes, I will take physical exhaustion over being mentally tired any day. It is hard to explain how drained I am emotionally at the end of the day. How sometimes I have to fake a smile and cheerfulness because I am around others. This is something different for me. Remember I have been alone most of my adult life. It's not that I am anti-social it is what I am use to, alone. Dealing by myself is how I got by. Maybe I didn't do it well but I did it. So I fake it until I make it, or until I pass out, or cry.

I don't know that everyone handles emotional stress the same or maybe as poorly as I do. I don't know that everyone handle mental exhaustion the way I do. I honestly do know this, my co-workers and people who work in similar industries agree that being mentally exhausted is an entirely different level of tired from when they are physically tired. One of my co-workers said this to me this morning "It isn't that I don't want to go home and clean the house, it's that I am so emotionally worn out, all I can do is make dinner and get the kids to bed." Yep, that's about how I would express it. I have grand plans on the way to work. On the way home from work I just am happy to make it home without falling asleep.

So, what about you? What's harder for you, Physical or Emotional exhaustion?


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Mondays...

We had an amazing weekend! We had a Saturday filled with shopping, fishing and friends and a Sunday filled with baseball. The weekend was perfect and filled with happiness. I like when our family weekends are peaceful and happy and they usually are.

I know I have been kind of lazy about blogging lately but that is really because work is super stressful and I am just trying to make it day to day. By the time I get home I am emotionally exhausted and I just want to be brain dead which is exactly how the Texas Rangers have been playing baseball lately, by coincidence.

Ok, this isn't my first official Mountain Bike Monday but...I am in the process if setting up a Mountain Bike date. I know, it's a huge step! I reached out to one of my friends and told her we really need to go ride and catch up so I think this is going to happen! I am so excited!!!





Alright that's all I got. Short and sweet. Happy Monday!



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Fitness Friday: Getting in Gear

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I am starting a lower body challenge to get back in bike shape. I am so ready to get back on my bike but I know how much lower body strength it takes and so I found this squat challenge to get my legs in gear...get it?

I am happy with my weight loss and progress there. I feel good and my endurance is up. Mostly I have realized it is a mind over matter as with most things in life. You have to stop listening to the voice in your head that tells you that you are tired and make yourself work. No matter how tired you feel. No matter how hard your day was. No matter how many challenges you face. Waiting for everything to be perfect will mean you wait for a day that never comes.


Life isn't fair, easy, or pain free but you really do get out of it what you put in to it and no matter where you are you have to start and make the most of what you have. No excuses and no feeling sorry for yourself because in the end pity doesn't buy you anything.


Squats will buy me strong legs and mountain bike time and mountain bike time buys me the most amazing bottom a girl could ever ask for and the most freedom you can imagine flying through the woods on the back of a hardtail riding over limbs, rocks, down hills and through creeks. My Skye and I have had some amazing adventures and they have only just begun and I can't wait to share them with you. Soon, my sweet friends! As soon as my legs can handle it!


Thought for the day:
Don't worry what other people think. The people that matter know the truth and the people that don't know the truth don't matter.

Mobile Monday:Concerts and What happened on a Tractor???

Friday night was Billy Currington and Lady A with my friend Jennifer. I have seen Lady A before but this was the 1st time seeing Billy in concert and he alone was worth the price of admission! He totally blew my boots off!


Lady A was pretty awesome too although I may have spent part of their performance watching Yu Darvish on my phone. What? He had a no hitter for 8 and 2/3 innings. I had a bunch of people surrounding me at the concert watching with me. There was an audible "Aw" in the middle of the concert when the hit happened.


After the concert I drove to East Texas. That's a long drive at midnight! Saturday I drove a tractor for the first time ever! Just call me farmer Laura!


It is totally amazing the amount of bugs and poison ivy I had to avoid this weekend. I think I was successful! We even saw a centipede. I had never seen one of those before. They really do have a lot of legs.

Hope you had a good weekend and a Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms. I have the best mom out there!


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Fishing, fishing and fun! Weekend recap

So a quick photo dump of my weekend...


This is the catfish that we caught. Not me...I was too enthralled watching this puppy get brought in!


These are the Killdeer eggs that the mama Killdeer was protecting. This bird is amazing. It will actually pretend to be hurt to lead predators away from her nest. Such a cool sight!





Saturday we had lunch with some friends and it was so pretty out that we hung out on the patio and we fell in love with the decor made from old tires. The kiddo wants to make these.


Sunday we went to North Shore, one of my favorite places to mountain bike....there is also fishing.





We had a truly amazing weekend!
So much fun! Hope your weekend was awesome.

XO


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