Small Victories

Not to toot my own horn, but I feel pretty accomplished tonight.  I feel like this week has gone pretty well so far.

I’ve been sticking to my exercise and eating routine very well for the past three days, and I’m seeing progress on the scale.  The better you feel and the more progress you feel (even if it’s just a little at a time) the more it motivates you to keep going.  I’ve had a really hard time for almost a year now sticking to my healthy routine/diet that I had done so well with for almost two years. I’ve gained about half of the weight back that I initially lost, and I am none too happy about it.  I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time staying motivated, but I’m determined to get back on track and get back to that healthier version of me.  Maybe by putting it out in the universe, it will help me stick to it a little better.  Can’t hurt.

I’m coming to that point in the book that I’m currently reading where I want to do nothing but read, but at the same time I just want to put it down and walk away so it will last longer.  I’m getting very close to the end, and as usual, I am not ready to say goodbye.  But still, lots of reading is like a workout for the mind, so yay for that!  (Bonus points for reading while walking on the TreadClimber…two workouts in one!)

On to the next small victory:  I got to take a nice relaxing shower after my workout.  So not only do I not have to hurry as much in the morning when I’m getting ready for work, I also have nice smooth legs.

And perhaps the accomplishment I most excited about…I baked a pizza tonight and did NOT eat the whole thing!  You don’t know how exciting this is for me.  It feels so good to gain back a little bit of control and to gain a stronger grip on the wagon.

So cheers to you for your small victories, too, because I’m sure you’ve had them.  No matter how small an accomplishment, it is still better than doing nothing.  Every little bit counts.  Keep on keeping on, my friends.

P.S.  I promised to let you know how I liked my book, “Bikini Season,” didn’t I?  Well, it is a bit different than I expected.  But I have fallen in love with it.  It’s about a group of 4 friends and how they support one another.  They start out meeting for a cooking club, but then decide to form a weight-loss support group with one another after they discover they are all wanting to get healthier.  We get to go journey through each one of these ladies lives, and there is something I can relate to in each character.  I can’t wait to see what happens next, but I don’t want it to end.

Until next time…xoxo

“Stir your stumps, Grant-Man!”

I spent all weekend (happily) watching vintage base ball.  Victor hosted their largest festival this past weekend, Gold Rush Days, and part of the festivities this year was a vintage base ball tournament, based on late 1800s (1860s, 1870s) play.  And yes, base ball was spelled as two separate words during that time.

There were four teams in the tournament.  The hometown team, the Victor Miners, the Cripple Creek Gold Nuggets (rivals from the next town over), the Denver Blue Stockings, and the Central City Stars.  The first game was Friday night, between the rivals Victor and Cripple Creek to kick everything off.  Victor absolutely wiped the field with CC (29-11)!  Victor was so much improved from last year, I was amazed.  Saturday was chock full of games, non-stop from 9 am until 5 o’clock.  Sunday was the championship game, between who else but Victor and Cripple Creek.  I am proud to say that Victor took home the trophy.  Huzzah, Victor Miners!!

The most exciting part of the vintage base ball games is the language they used.  They had different terms for all of the positions, and even the equipment.  And they had such fun insults, compliments, and exclamations!  They also have different rules.

The idea is the same obviously, but some of the logistics are different.  For example, the plays is considered out (or “dead” in their terms) if it is caught after one bounce.  The pitcher (hurler) can only throw underhanded.  And if you run past your intended base (bag), even after touching it, you are fair game to be tagged out.

The different names for the positions are so much fun!  I kind of wish they still used them today.  The pitcher is known as the hurler, the catcher is called the striker, and perhaps my MOST favorite is the catcher…aka the behind.

But the insults and exclamations and compliments are the most fun of all!  Some of my favorite insults are Muffin and Milkboy.  “Nice air-ball, Milkboy!”  Compliments that I rather enjoyed were Hunky, Muckle, and Grant-Man.  “Nicely struck, Grant-man!”  And now for the exclamations and interjections.  Stir those stumps!  Put on the steam!  (Both of those are meant to encourage the runner to hurry up and make it to the base before he’s thrown out.)  Other favorites are Flapdoodle!  Humbug!  Blame my Buttons!  Good Gravy!  And of course, Go Tell It to the Marines!  Oh, and you MUST yell “Huzzah!” to cheer on your favorite team; the more huzzahs the better!

If you ever get the chance to take in a vintage base ball game, definitely take advantage of it!  It is a fun and relaxing to spend the afternoon (or even the whole day).  And just think of all the fun things you’ll get to yell!

For it’s one, two, three strikes your out, at the old ball game!!!

So Long, Old Friend

Finishing a book is always bitter-sweet.  On one hand, there is a feeling of accomplishment (particularly if it is a rather large book), but on the other hand, there is a feeling of great loss.  At the end of a book I always feel like I am saying goodbye to a good friend.  (Note: This does not apply to a book that has been nothing but an unpleasant struggle to get through; i.e. The Old Man and the Sea.)

When I read a book I allow myself to be completely immersed in the story; I get totally lost in their world (and I wouldn’t have it any other way!).  I develop an emotional attachment to the people and places in this new world.  Their friends become my friends, their enemies, my enemies.  Their joys are my joys and their sorrows are my sorrows.

My first emotion upon finishing a book is sadness.  Then comes accomplishment.  Or is it the other way around?  I have a hard time letting go of my new friends; of the new world that I have become a part of.  I almost always wonder what will happen to the characters next.  Will they succeed in their ventures, will they live happily ever after?  I have come to realize that when I read a book, it becomes a part of my identify; it shapes who I am in it’s own way.  And in this way the story is not completely over, because it lives on in me.  And that brings me comfort.  Also, now that I have finished one journey, I am free to begin another!  I get to travel to a whole new world, meet new friends, encounter new adventures.  And that is the beauty of reading:  you can go on a million journeys without ever leaving the confines of your living room!  And unlike real life, you can even re-live them over and over again!

Last night I finished “Wickett’s Remedy” by Myla Goldberg.  It’s about Lydia’s life and experiences during the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic.  A great little piece of historical fiction (one of my favorite genres).  Next up on the docket is “Bikini Season” by Sheila Roberts.  Three things attracted me to this book.  The title caught my attention, as it seemed like it might be a funny, “light” book.  Then the description on the back reeled me in.  Check this out:

Erin Merritt has returned to her scenic hometown of Heart Lake to plan her wedding, but when she repeatedly runs into her childhood crush, she wonders if she’s engaged to the wrong man.  To make matters worse, all the stress is making her eat, and now she can’t fit into her wedding dress.

An accolade on the front cover sealed the deal.  “Bikini Season deals with that most painful of annual rituals, fitting into one’s swimsuit.  But it’s really about so much more–fitting into one’s life.”–Susan Wiggs.  I can’t wait to dive in and meet the new friends that await me in this story.  I’ll let you know if it’s any good! 😉

Namer of All Things Worthy

I once had a friend who gave me the title of “Namer of All Things Worthy.”  And even though that friendship has faded, the title is still very much alive.  Names absolutely fascinate me.  Have you ever wondered how certain objects get their names?  Or where they came up with the name for the color fuchsia?  Or how about all those fonts?  In high school, when I was on the Yearbook Staff, I got to help pick out the fonts that we would use for the book throughout the year, and I decided then that I wanted to be the person that picked out crazy names for fonts, or even the names for nail polishes.  How fun of a job would that be?!  But even before that, I loved naming things.

I doubt that I will ever get paid for naming anything, but that hasn’t stopped me from naming most things in sight.  Every one of my cars has had a name (I’ve named my parent’s vehicles and my bff’s cars, too!).  And it can’t just be any name.  The name has to relate to the car (or whatever object I’m working with).  It has to have meaning.  It can’t be too common or too simple.  Sometimes a name will just come to me naturally (shout out to Susan’s former jeep, the beloved Jude), and sometimes I have to work a little harder at it (my new orchid, Persephone, took a bit of work).

For your reading pleasure, here is a list of many things I have named (a combination of two of my favorite things–names and lists!):

• Drew, Sal, and Rhett–the three vehicles that have taken me on many adventures
• Hesiod Petronius–my HP laptop (this name was inspired by a much loved Greco-Roman course; ancient Greece has awesome names!)
• Tobias–the tablet I am currently using to post this very entry
• Melvin–my beloved, blue beta fish, named after the musical group Harry, Melvin, and the Bluenotes

The list could go on and on, but I think you’ve probably had enough.  I even have a list of names for future children.  Every time I come across a name that really catches my eye, I mark it down on “The List.”  And hey, if I never have kids, then at least I will have some awesomely (is that even a word?) named pets.  Or maybe I can take my list and become a professional naming consultant.  I can just see the business card now:  Olivia Kuhns, Professional Naming Consultant & Namer of All Things Worthy.  (And you can bet the font on that card would be out of this world!)

So if you ever find yourself in need of a naming consultant, you know where to find me!

Bouquets of Newly-Sharpened Pencils

“I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”–You’ve Got Mail

I have seen the movie You’ve Got Mail more times than I can even begin to count.  I can probably quote most of the movie from beginning to end with my eyes closed and one arm behind my back.  If you haven’t seen it and you love chick-flicks and Tom Hanks, drop everything you are doing and go watch it right now.

This particular quote is one of my favorites.  They are talking about New York in the fall, and how it makes them want to buy school supplies.  I don’t know about New York (never been there), but every fall I also have the urge to buy school supplies.  Something about the way the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter makes me yearn for school days of years gone buy.

I was reminded of this quote and these feelings a couple of days ago as I bought a brand new planner.  (There is something special about a new, unmarked planner.  The pages are blank, awaiting assignments and projects yet to come.  Who know what the academic year might bring!)  For the first time in 5 years, I get to buy school supplies for myself!  I am going back to school (online) to finish my degree…I am really going to do it this time.  As I was standing in the aisle perusing the different shapes and sizes of planners, I was determined to pick just the right one.  It had to feel just right.  I got a good one!  It has a soft cover, so it can easily be folded over to write on either side, there is plenty of room to write for each day (my handwriting tends to run large, so this is a must), AND, the best part, it has inspirational quotes on every other page.  This planner is the foundation of what will be a successful semester, and a successful school year, I can just feel it.

Keep Me Awake

Hello out there!

I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for some time now, but have often wondered who in the world would want to read my musings?!  Well, I’m finally going ahead with it.  If you are reading this, I am so happy that you are willing to to go on this journey with me.  I don’t know exactly what is going to be written here…and I guess that is part of the beauty behind this venture.

The title of my blog, “Keep Me Awake For Every Moment” is inspired by what is perhaps (I say perhaps because I can never chose just one) my favorite song of all time, Awake, by my favorite artist, Josh Groban.  I was at a concert of his two years ago where he dedicated this song to all of us in the audience.  He told us it is about the people and moments that you don’t want to let go of.  His words, and the lyrics “keep me awake for every moment,” have resonated deep within me ever since.

Within these pages, you will find my thoughts on people and moments that I don’t want to let go of.  You will find my thoughts on my favorite (and not-so-favorite) sports teams, my favorite tv shows, books I am reading, or maybe just something really strange or funny that I happen to come across on any given day.  Oh, and there may be an occasional post about my cat (who is sitting on my lap, trying to get my undivided attention, as I type this).   I won’t promise to always use perfect grammar or to write anything life-changing, but I will promise to be me.  And that is all that I can be.  I hope that will be enough for you.

Until next time,

Liv