Usta

Usta- noun, Polish in origin- mouth

Last week, I lost a lot of sleep over work.  Now, most of the time I enjoy my job and I only experience the little minor annoyances that come with working for the public.  But last week, so many different things happened and caused me so much grief that the one night I managed to get a full night's sleep, I dreamed that I went back to Buehler's on my vacation, ended up staying, and actually enjoyed working there.  Ha!

But by the end of Monday morning, all of my problems had disappeared and I was in a very happy mood.  Also, I was incredibly bored due to the fact that I had been stuffing folders with inserts all morning and still was only halfway done.  Finally, boredom overtook me, and as I glanced at the eightieth informational pamphlet that talked about picking the ripest fruits and vegetables, I started reading the Spanish side of the pamphlet, just so I could say I was learning some new information.

In my slap happy state, it didn't take me long to start repeating the one Spanish phrase I know that contains the word 'tomato': "Miren al tomate, no es triste?  Pero no puede bailar, pobre tomate." According to Google Translate and the Veggie Tales video I learned that line from, it means, "Look at the tomato.  Isn't it sad?  He can't dance.  Poor tomato."  I probably sang "The Dance of the Cucumber" for a good hour.

Once I got bored with that song, I started thinking about all of my other Veggie Tales favorites.  Over the course of the next hour, I sang "The Hairbrush Song,"  the "Cheeseburger Song," "The Song of the Cebu," "Barbara Manatee," and "The Water Buffalo Song."  Honest to goodness, I forgot I knew the words to all of those songs, but they came back to me very easily.

At the end of the day, one of my co-workers commented on my good mood.  She speculated that it must have been due to the fact that our potentially disastrous morning had turned out in our favor.  I really didn't know how I could explain that singing songs I learned in my "tween" years had brought me great joy that afternoon, so I just smiled and nodded.

What really bugged me though was the one last song I couldn't remember.  All I could remember was the word "usta."  My entire drive home (it's only five minutes) I was driving myself crazy trying to remember the song.  I even played my mom's "ABC" game.  You know, the one where you recite the alphabet until it jogs your memory?  The one we mercilessly tease her for?  It didn't work.

Finally, finally I was able to access the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World- YouTube.  All I had to do was type in the word "usta" and I was transported back in time to when I first learned "The Lip Song."  I was overjoyed to find the song and I sang the entire thing for the rest of the night.  It was a good evening, and I slept well for the first night in a week.

Moral of the story:  I know a ridiculous amount of songs that revolve around animated vegetables, and they brought my great joy this week.  Usta!  Enjoy the rest of your week!

Trail

Trail- noun- a marked or beaten path, as through woods or wilderness.

All I want to do is take a nice, long walk on a nature trail.  I want to climb over tree roots, maneuver around ancient trees, listen to wind rustling through the leaves, breathe in the clean air, and watch the birds fly around.

Maybe I'm looking forward to coming home just a little too much and am romanticizing all the things I miss about Ohio, but lately I've been really missing all of the trails I walked when I was home.

I miss how I can walk to that one corner of Hubbard Valley, turn, and then look out across the pond.  I like the fact that I can walk along a grassy lane, then traverse through some winding trails and end up by the little creek.  Oh, and if I have the right people with me, we roll down the sledding hill.

I miss walking at River Styx, walking the "wrong way" around the nature trail, only to immediately come up against that hill I hate.  When I get to the top of the hill, though, it's all worth it and everything is smooth sailing from there.  I miss looking for the creepy carp and counting the number of frogs I can scare as I walk around the pond.  Oh, and if we stopped to get ice cream from the little store first, it's heavenly.

There are a lot of beautiful parks here in SC, but they're not quite the same.  I think my favorite park has to be Rosebrock park.  It has long, winding trails through the woods, and a sign that says "Learn about the poisonous snakes in our park."  This is right before the part of the sign that talked about wearing long sleeves and long pants to help prevent against ticks.  Oh, and I don't get charged money to enter that park, unlike several other of the nicer parks in my area. But I think I'll hold off on visiting Rosebrock until the weather cools down and the snakes hibernate!

With all that said, you can be sure that I will be walking at one of these two places hopefully every day when I'm home in just a few short weeks.  Join me if you want, the more the merrier! Have a great week everyone!

Sleep

Sleep- noun- a condition of body and mind, such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is inactive.
          verb- rest in such a condition; be asleep

I thought a lot about sleep these last few days, probably because my "gift of sleep" disappeared and I was tired and cranky all week.  The saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is typically spoken in reference to something we desire or a love that is not present, but I felt that way about my sleep this week.

I thought about sleep when I saw the little baby in his car seat.  Even though his brother was screaming as he ran down the hallway ahead of us, the baby never stirred.

I thought about sleep when a mom uttered the fatal words: "You're taking a nap when you get home."  That was a cue for her three year-old to scream in defiance, "NO, I'M NOT!"  I laughed and couldn't help but think that someday she would wish for those naps, just like the rest of us do now.

I thought about sleep when I saw my co-worker sleeping in her car on her lunch break.  I have done the same thing on many occasions (an hour to sleep in the middle of the day, are you kidding me?  Who would pass that up?).  One day a few weeks ago, my boss saw me in the hallway and said, "You have no idea how hard it was for me to NOT honk my horn and try to scare you when I saw you sleeping."  Normally I want to harm anyone who dare disturbs my slumber, but if you knew my boss, you'd know it's completely out of character for her and for that reason it would have been funny.

I thought about sleep in my meeting last week, when I was trying desperately to not allow my eyes to close while we went over some ridiculously monotonous statistics.  I perked up when I saw a woman across the room starting the "head bob" as she too tried to stay awake.  Some people have nice co-workers who gently elbow them awake.  This girl had co-workers who draped seven other people's name tags over her head.

I thought about sleep when I walked in my room to find my dog asleep in his crate, stretched out on his back with his paws in the air while he snored.  God still has not blessed my family with a normal animal.

And tonight, I will set up camp on my futon.  I will have some popcorn and hot chocolate and put a chick-flick in the DVD player, intending to enjoy my extra night of freedom with a movie marathon.  This will inevitably end with me waking up about 1:00 a.m. after I realize that I"m listening to the same soundtrack music over and over again while the DVD idles on the main menu.  I will have missed approximately half the movie, including all of my favorite parts.

Well, I just noticed a spider building a web in the arm of my patio chair, so I need to go destroy the web before the spider kills anything and I have to watch a bug writhe around in the silk.  I allowed one spider to build a web in the corner of my patio, the least they can do is leave my chair alone.

Have a fantastic week everyone.  Take a minute (at least!) to observe the holiday, and join me in saying, "Beryl, Beryl, go away, head to sea with your skies so gray." Hey, if it's not going to hit us directly, I want nothing to do with it!

Ready

Ready- adj- in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared
            verb- prepare for an activity or purpose

Last night, I settled onto my couch to channel surf for a few minutes before I went to bed.  After skipping over a few obnoxious reality shows, Law and Order reruns, and whatever was on PBS, I came across the news just as the weather report began.  Waiting for the weatherman to tell me I was going to have perfect weather for my walk at the park the next day, I was a little surprised to instead hear about the tropical storm that was spinning just off the coast.  I paid close attention for a few seconds, only to quickly move on to the next channel when the weatherman said it wasn't going to come anywhere near me.

This isn't to say that I don't care about tropical weather.  Earlier this week we had a couple of relatively minor storms that caused a lot of problems, and all I could think was, "If this is just a little storm, what the heck would a hurricane be like?"  But there's no sense in losing sleep over something that wasn't going to affect me.  Besides, I "know" that I am ready.

Last year when Tropical Storm Emily came close enough to warrant a few NOAA e-mails from our emergency prepardness director, I went out and bought EVERYTHING I needed for a hurricane kit.  Then, when Hurricane Irene came close enough to scare everyone, I went out and bought just a little bit more.

Like I said- I tried to cover everything- many gallons of water, juice, canned fruits and vegetables, canned chicken, some granola bars, applesauce cups, and plastic silverware.  I had enough food to last for a week! To top it off, I used some old "disaster" menus I made for school and tailored it to make my own personal hurricane menu.  When Irene came around, I stocked up on batteries, dog food, and the last three gallons of water on the shelf.  I also had a blank book, ready to start writing a book during the three days that the power would be out (I was trying to be optimistic!)

Then, when Irene didn't stop by, I gradually started picking at my stores.  First I took the juice, the applesauce, and the granola bars for my lunch.  Cooper gnawed on a couple of jugs of water, allowing them to slowly leak into my carpet.  No wonder I couldn't figure out where that musty smell was coming from.  He also ate my honey nut Cheerios.  I figured out once and for all that I hate, with a capital H- Hate, canned meat of any kind when I went to use the chicken in a recipe.  Slowly but surely, the canned fruit and vegetables made it into various casseroles and baked desserts.

So come January (when I first discovered the emptied and shriveled jugs of water), I looked down into my hurricane basket and sighed.  What had been a full basket that would carry me through the h-e-double hockey sticks that would be a category 3 hurricane was now a pink basket with a container of Purell and a box of mixed cutlery.

Since then, I've started adding back to my little stash.  Like I said- I hate canned chicken, but I now have a few cans of beans, a container of peanut butter, a can of almonds, and some Ravioli for protein purposes.  Triscuits are in still in the box, and I added some club crackers.  I found some high fructose-free applesauce cups for half price with a coupon, and I decided to make my peace with the canned peas and carrots.  (Somehow they will get mixed in with something I actually like.)

The water is now on the top shelf, far away from the dog's fangs. I found out that Bi-Lo offers a "buy the name brand, get our store brand free" offer for some yummy granola bars, and I splurged on more juice boxes and Capri Suns.  I figure if I'm going to be cowering for protection in my closet, I may as well have all kinds of yumminess nearby.  Speaking of that...maybe I should get a little chocolate?

All in all, Alberto is far away tonight, so I have probably have at least another two months or so before there's any more mention of a hurricane.  Also, the reality is, no matter how ready I think I am, I will still probably be scared out of my mind if anything heads toward Charleston.  Additionally, I have set my hurricane category limit to "2."  Anything more than a category 2 and I will be taking an impromptu vacation to Ohio. Or maybe Tennessee, since driving to Ohio would violate my "never driving 77 North alone again" rule.

In any case, I have a strawberry rhubarb pie to finish baking.  Hopefully it will be as delicious as I am imagining.  Have a great week everyone!

Quiver

Quiver- verb- A slight trembling movement or sound, especially one caused by a sudden strong emotion.

I stood in the middle of my living room, lip quivering and eyes blinking hard to hold back the tears. I thought to myself, "Get it together, Kate!  You're an adult for goodness' sake!"  A few seconds and a couple of deep breaths later, I had calmed down enough to return to the project I had been working on, but the emotion of that moment stuck with me for a while longer.

I like to think I'm "big and bad" in trying times, meaning that I have control over any situation and can handle any problems that come my way in a cool, calm, and collected manner.  I like to think that in difficult situations, I always act like I did last Wednesday.  That day I had clients angry at me, the regional education director wanting to know why we hadn't started utilizing our new lesson plans, project managers pressuring me to finish a project I had no control over, and the new trainee playing "Twenty-One Hundred Questions" with me.  Oh, and I was having a bad hair day and my shoe was starting to fall apart.

But it all ended up being just fine- the clients may not have left happy, but they were treated politely and fairly in a timely manner.  My director was accepting of the reasons why we hadn't started the new lessons and left the clinic smiling.  The project manager and I reached an understanding as to what I needed before I could finish my part of the project, and the new trainee ended up following another co-worker.  My cute new headband took care of the bad hair day and a piece of Scotch tape fixed the shoe long enough for me to make it through the day.

With that said, what I want isn't always what I get, and how I think I should act isn't always what happens!  Monday was a stressful day at work- we had no electricity, internet, or phones when I got to work and my car battery died and needed replaced when I left work.  I handled the work problems professionally, but broke down and cried when it came to the car.  I was emotionally spent by the time I got home and sat down to dinner.

More frazzled than ever at this point, I was sitting at the computer and trying to focus on an article I was writing, when all of the sudden a loud boom sounded directly over my head.  My new neighbor, whose existence I kept forgetting, had dropped something on the floor.  The loud noise, coupled with inattention to my surroundings, startled me so much that I jumped out of my chair, screamed, and ran into the living room.  That's why I was standing in the middle of the room fighting back tears.  After the shock wore off, I was so mad at my reaction that I was no longer crying from fear, but from frustration.

The latter is an example what typically happens when I come up against conflict, fear, or frustration- a quivering lip, followed by a flood of emotions.  It's a maddening process.  Thankfully, with some prayer and persistence, I'm starting to skew towards a more calm approach to trials and tribulations, as well as being able to accept my shortcomings and laugh at myself more.  (It's a slow transition, to be sure!)  By bedtime Monday, I was laughing at my reaction and I had even shared the incident with my sister, who also laughed at me!

For the time being, I'll settle for a happy medium- like Wednesday night.  After my marathon day at work, I came home to an eerily dark and still apartment.  Turns out my building had been directly struck by lighting and had tripped the main breaker to my apartment.  After consulting with my neighbors, I called the office and waited for maintenance to come help, all the while bemoaning the fact that I'd have to spend my ENTIRE day off working with State Farm to file a claim for my damaged electronics after I got rid of all the spoiled food in my fridge and freezer.   I was mostly calm, with just a little bit of doom and gloom.  As it turned out, with one flip of a switch our maintenance worker restored power to my apartment and the food and electronics were all just fine.

As we draw to a close today, I would like to convey well wishes to my maternal unit.  Since it's been raining most of the afternoon, I've been thinking back to a Mother's Day about ten years ago.  We had been enjoying our tent, but due to some heavy rains it had become inundated with water.  We crammed ten people into a friend's camper for the night in order for my family to escape the flood.  The next morning, all ten of us went to brunch at a local restaurant.  Unshowered and wearing our slightly damp and grungy camping clothes, we sure were a sight against all of the moms in their floral print Sunday best! Ah memories!

Paradise

Paradise- noun- a place of extreme beauty, happiness, or delight.

With a contented sigh, I stretched out as best I could.  Complete relaxation came quickly as my head rested in my intertwined hands and my legs crossed at my ankles.  I'd had a pretty decent day at work, my dinner was delicious, the dog and I had gone on a pleasant walk, and with tonight's bike ride I was beginning to notice the positive effects of daily cycling.  At this moment, I was relishing in the near perfection of the day and felt like I was floating on air.

As I stared up into the sky, I watched the moon transition from a mere shadow partly obscured by clouds to a bright shape that heralded the coming dusk.

The few wispy clouds that were making their way across the sky allowed me to see a "caramel-colored sunset sky."  Golden-brown in color, I couldn't believe I had never before seen clouds quite that color.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the breeze was picking up and I watched the American flag begin to wave ever so slightly.  I watched as that same breeze moved the trees from their staunch position and caused the branches to sway ever so rhythmically.  

By now the clouds had moved on to the east, leaving nothing but clear blue sky above me.  It made for a striking backdrop as a flock of pure white seabirds flew overhead.

I closed my eyes again and relished the moment.  With a deep breath I took in the slight scent of the privet hedge blossoms, a not-too-distant barbecue, the blooming magnolias, and just a whiff of chlorine from the pool.

Yes, floating in the pool that evening proved to be wonderful.  But the best moment of the night came as a small voice from behind caused me to stir from my trance:  "Mommy, why do I have to go?"  "Because it's almost bedtime sweetie."  "But if I have to go to bed, why doesn't she?!"  I never heard the mom's reply because I was chuckling quite a bit as I thought to myself, "Because I'm an adult and I don't have to go inside and go to bed until I want to!" That moment felt like a childhood wish had been fulfilled and it made my night.  Pure delight and happiness right there.

Well, it is just about time to head out to the pool again.  Such a hard life I lead, I know.  Have a fun, safe, and happy week everyone, and join me in enjoying the fact that a full moon happened over the weekend, and not while I was in clinic with my clients.

O.A.R.S.

O.A.R.S.- Open-ended questions, affirmation, reflection, summary.

Meetings.  Love them or hate them, they're a part of the business world, and  WIC is no exception.  Several times per year, the entire region shuts down and we head to training sessions that cover various topics, all in the hopes that we'll continually improve as workers and make the world a better place.

We had another meeting today, and among the topics was O.A.R.S.  In a WIC certification (getting a person on the WIC program), we are supposed to converse with the client, find out what they want to talk about, what their concerns are, and then help them come up with their own goals and solutions to their problems.  In all seriousness, it is actually a helpful tool and can make the entire process much more pleasant for everyone involved.  But when I get distracted in a meeting and am no longer paying attention to the next topic on the list (which we've covered quite a few times), I use O.A.R.S. as a source of amusement.

The correct way to use O.A.R.S:
Me:  What concerns do you have for your child today? (open-ended question)
Client: He eats all of his foods except meat, and I don't want him to lose out on any nutrients.
Me: That's great that you're concerned about his nutrition. (affirmation)
Client: Yes, I want him to be healthy.
Me: So you want your child to be healthy, and you want to make sure he's getting enough protein in his diet.
(reflection)
Client: Yes.
<we talk for a few minutes about sources of protein...>
Me: So you were concerned about your child not eating meat, but you think he would like some of these other sources of protein, and that will make you feel better about his nutrition? (summary)
Client: Yes.  Thank you.  You're the best WIC nutritionist ever! (All example dialogue for these meetings is ridiculously cheesy.  Why not write some cheesy dialogue that benefits my ego?)

The incorrect way to use O.A.R.S., or "if I had used O.A.R.S. with other people I encountered today":
Me: Why did you think it was important to pull out right in front of me this morning? (question!)
Me: That's great that you wanted to save time and get to that McDonald's down the road faster than if you had waited ten seconds for me to pass.  (affirmation)
Me: So, you had to pull out in front of me just then so you could both get coffee and make it to work on time. (reflection)
Me: You were running late but still wanted your coffee and you had faith that I was paying attention to you and would stop in time, which I did. (summary)

Over the next half hour, I thought a lot about O.A.R.S. and how fun it can be if used in the right way, with the right sense of humor.  I may have to break this out at family reunions.  Well, I'm falling asleep at my keyboard, so I should probably move on to some other activity.  TTFN!