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May 9, 2016 In Do good, Inspiration, Links, North Carolina, Operation Charlotte, Photos

why you should always hold the door open

I love holding the door open for people. While we all live in all too fast-paced reality of the work day, there are few ways we can experience such a happy interaction with a stranger like we can when we wait that extra few seconds to simply hold the door.

Funny I posted about doing good earlier today. Doing good feels so good! I love the look on a strangers face when I hold the door open- the absolute surprise for such a little thing.

I just walked into Starbucks to camp with my laptop for the afternoon, and a couple guys followed me in. I held the door. (I had to count to three-one-thousand for them to catch up to me, so perhaps I looked awkward, but I didn’t care.) I got a big thank you, then walked into the restroom before ordering. When I came out I got behind these same two guys in line as one of them said “…and whatever she’s having for holding the door open for us!”

Whoop!

They thanked me again, complimented my dress, (hello blue!- my favorite color…wink wink:), and I thanked them again.

Thank you fiesta!

I’m still smiling now as I type. That 3 minutes made my day. People being nice to each other. How easy is that?!

I hope you will join me, and hold the door please, (on everything) just for a few extra seconds. Make sure you smile at a stranger when you can. What you put out, always comes back in some form or another. (At least, I keep still believing.)

Starbucks office

Thanks for my coffee, guys!

#DoGood #BeNice #LessHurryMoreDoorHoldingHappyLife

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March 27, 2016 In Links, North Carolina, Photos, Recommended reading

check yourself before you wreck yourself

Thanks to modern technology, this was my office for a couple days this week:

Beach Life

There hasn’t been nearly enough of the above in my life during the past few months, which is just totally not cool, and pretty much against everything I stand for, so sand in toes and connecting with a few important people had to happen.

Needed it. Did it. Wanted to smack myself for not doing it sooner. Translation; Check myself (breathe/give myself some space/take a “minute”) before I wrecked myself (exhaustion, frustration, etc. – that beast that creeps making us feel at times like crispy fried bacon.)

In Googling the title for this post just now, this link popped up. I dig no bs writers who aren’t afraid to throw a little weight in truth around, and the occasional f-bomb:

Get it

We will all learn eventually how to take better care of ourselves (without feeling guilty), so we can in turn be better at taking care of others. We will all learn eventually how to take breaks (without feeling guilty) so we can remember who we are and be badass in our personal and professional lives.

No more crispy fried bacon. No more victim. Much more creating a life that has a shit ton of joy everyday.

How do you check out so you can check back in?

#StepBackMoveForward #Perspective #HappyLife

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March 10, 2016 In BLR Memorial Travel Scholarship Fund, BLR Play It Forward 2016, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, Do good, Inspiration, Links, News & Updates, People, Photos, play, Strong Mojo, Vermont

things that fill my heart

Today is March 9, 2016 and that means it is exactly 4 months until the 5th Annual BLR Play It Forward Event in Vermont.

WHOOP! 5TH ANNUAL! 

In 2011 when we (a couple of my amazing alumni soccer soul sisters from back in the day) came up with the idea for an alumni soccer game which then turned into a full-scale community event and scholarship fund, I spent months in my Old Town Chicago apartment, floor 23 overlooking The Second City entrance, in my pajamas trying to figure out how to make it all happen. I remember some days I’d go to the gym for an 8 or 9am class, come back home all sweaty and yucky, wrap myself in a towel intending on getting in the shower, and start working only to find it to be 8 or 9pm and myself sitting there, 12 hours later stinky, starving, and still working. It’s kind of amazing how time flies when you’re in your zone working on something you’re so incredibly passionate about. I’d eventually shower, and often times take the elevator downstairs to Chipolte (which was in the same building as The Second City across the street), get a veggie burrito, sometimes a beer and by 10pm be eating my one meal of the day on my couch in quiet. Rinse and repeat this is how those few spring months of 2012 went before our first big event happened on August 18, 2012.

Check this out! I just found a photo of my little desk area in that great high rise apartment I had:

BLR work space

Small work space that cranked out some dreams. I can’t even remember what I used for a chair! Not fancy. It didn’t matter. Boy those are good memories. This scene is where Play It Forward was born. To this day, my best work and what I am most proud of.

I’ve got buckets of photos from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 – but I will share just one from each year for space sake for today.

2012, balloon release in honor of our friends to kick off the inaugural event:

BLR Play It Forward 2012

All hands in before game, 2013:

BLR Play It Forward 2013

The Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship award, 2014:

Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship

Me and “Mr. B” last summer, 2015 – one of our most loyal fans and supporters, cheering us on each year in his same white t-shirt:

Mr. B and I

(That sweet guy was my 6th grade teacher!)

There’s no way I could share here, all the photos and words I have that would illustrate properly the amazing impact we make. This day is so special you have to be there to believe it. (I hope whoever you are reading this, you will join us this summer in some kind of capacity!)

On July 9, 2016 we will once again come together to reconnect, reminisce, play soccer, cry together, laugh together, and give back. I already know it will as usual, be my favorite day of the year. A bittersweet day in this “brutiful” life, where nothing else matters other than coming together to remember, celebrate, and live.

What do you do, to make sure you never forget where you came from?

#RememberCelebrateLive #PlayForwardGiveBack #StrongMojo

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February 24, 2016 In Links, People, Photos

adventures in humans

I try not to do this, but I just can’t help it today. Mostly because this has happened twice within a week and on the most extreme level, so I must share…

We all know the scene; “that guy” in the coffee shop. The one just-a-chattin’ away on his cell phone for 20 minutes straight as if he’s in his private office. Not a care in the world, and completely clueless about anything and everything around him.

I’ve come to know “that guy” very well over the years on the road and now in my home base city hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop as my office so often. Once every few weeks there’s a real doozy “that guy” who babbles so loudly on his phone that everyone around him can’t help but to give that evil – ummm, can you PLEASE shut up?! stare. Usually it is kind of funny and entertaining, and I giggle a little or shrug it off thinking, I’m might not be perfect at a lot of things, but at least I’m not THAT guy! 

Yes, I usually just shake my head and laugh, wondering how “that guy”‘s mom didn’t teach him to know better. I’m pretty numb to “that guy” as he seems to be a regular no matter what state I’m in. I do my best to ignore and type away on my computer. This past week however, there was no ignoring. “That guy”- two of them, have been real pieces of work.

This particular Starbucks, one I never come to, I happen to be at today for the second time in 7 days. They must have a sign I missed out front that reads:

Enter here, circus show screamers! Step right up! No rules here! Yell on the phone for an hour about your company sales team! Talk to your coworker at a screech level that reminds us of that scene in in the movie Teen Wolf when Michael J. Fox can hear the dog whistle piercing in his ear! Take your mangled stinky sneakers off and hang out like you’re in your living room! Anything goes! Welcome to the freak show! 

I’m not joking or exaggerating when I say that last week, after a full HOUR of “that guy” in a suit sitting next to me, absolutely screaming (like someone call the police screaming because there must be something wrong screaming) – I could’t take it anymore and had to lean over with a Excuse me sir, um, could you just like- stop, please? You are unbelievably loud. I honestly was so dumbfounded I didn’t even know what to say, and I’m rarely at a loss for words.

He apologized, still on his call, then simply turned to the wall and kept scream-talking!

Seriously.

The fact that Ashton Kutcher didn’t jump out of a plant and tell me I was Punk’d, still baffles me.

And then there’s today.

There sits a man across from me (no shame, straight up in his UPS uniform I might add) who was for his entire stay, talking at about that same scream talk level as the previous guy on one phone, while texting on another. Lunch/lunch bag spread out on the table, full-on lounging like he owned the place, and just chilling out with his shoes off. Nice Gold Toe UPS browns, buddy.

Did I mention he had sunglasses on too? Of course he did. You always need sunglasses sitting inside at a table for an hour. That brought my scene on a full-circle crazy train loop.

No shame UPS

Clueless UPS

I love talking. I love noise. I love animated characters. I love when humans let their freak flags fly. Do I care if people are chatty around me? No. Do I think there should be a SHHH!!! Silence please! This is Starbucks! rule? No. Do I kind of enjoy that life so often feels like I’m in an episode of Candid Camera? Yes. But, still- peeps…can we open up our eyes a little, pretty please? 🙂

A part of me appreciates anyone who lives in this kind of level of la la land. It must be fun there! And I suppose I wouldn’t have funny things to write about if adults didn’t misbehave so much.

Thanks “that guy!” You make chatty, no filter, sassafras girls like me, look so quiet and demure.

#ThePeopleAtStarbucks #EverydayAdventure #NeverADullMoment

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January 30, 2016 In Inspiration, Photos

100 proof, and proud of it

Never dilute

Had to share this that I saw tonight. Story of my life! I’m a girl who’s always heard she’s “too much to handle.”

Well that’s just silly.

To all my fellow freaks, and geeks, who may have the label of “too much” energy out there…rock on my sisters and brothers! Better to be a little too much, than a little too little.

Always keep in mind who appreciates you exactly how you are.

There’s no stop in you. Only go.

#BlueSkiesAhead #GetAfterIt #OneLifeDoItRight

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