Hanging Out At The Bar

I've been working a part-time job at a local gas station for just under a year. I'm primarily a pizza slinger/kitchen helper, with a register shift thrown in on occasion for good measure. It's not a terrible job, but for minimum wage? It's a LOT of work with inflexible hours (shifts I can work in conjunction with my full-time job are either 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM, or 5:00 PM - Midnight).

Yes, this *is* the women's bathroom in said bar

About a month ago, my (former) hairdresser approached me with another part-time opportunity. Her brother runs the bar in Podunk and needed a personal assistant of sorts. The position pays double what I'm making at the gas station and allows me to work from home on my own schedule.

I stopped in and talked to him about what I could offer, and we made arrangements for me to begin this project today.

I'm really hoping this comes through (this is the second time we've attempted to make this work). It would mean I could leave the minimum wage gig and have a LOT more flexibility.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Adapt And Overcome ... Until You Feel "Comfortable"

One of the things that has happened as the result of having a childhood filled with turbulence (i.e. being the adult child of an alcoholic) is that I have developed a what I guess can best be called a survival skill set. Although not without stress and anxiety, I adapt well to whatever situation I find myself in ... especially the bad situations. Yesterday, it became clear that I have done that a little too well with life in Podunk.

Mike and I are planning a move to an area about halfway between our jobs. Right now, I have a 5-minute commute to work, while Mike spends at least an hour on his commute.

While looking at apartments and condos in the area we hope to move to, we decided to do a little exploring. I had never been to a Whole Foods (I know! Right??) and there was one in the area, so off we went. Mike warned me that many people find Whole Foods to be a religious experience. I was one of those people.

The first thing that hit me when we walked in the door was the smell - it was a wonderful combination of fresh flowers and produce, with a hint of hot deli thrown in. I had to just stand at the entrance of the market and gather myself for a moment.

Then we started our tour.

The colors were vibrant. The selections were amazing. I saw items I've only ever seen on episodes of Chopped. And the people ...

The people were just as vibrant and amazing as the store itself!

That visit to Whole Foods made me realize just how well I have adapted to life in Podunk ... and that isn't a good thing ... at all ...

I'm excited to be exploring our new life in a far more diverse area. I felt surprisingly comfortable yesterday - there is something to be said for selective anonymity. No one there knew me. They weren't going to report on what they saw in my shopping cart. They weren't wondering who the scary black man was with me. We fit in ... something we've been seriously lacking in Podunk.

You Can Call Me A Rugged Maniac

I've become one of those people.

The ones who brag about their athletic prowess on social media, eliciting the reader eyeroll.

The ones I used to make fun of ...

One of my co-workers, who happens to be half my age, is big into obstacle runs. She's been doing them for about two years as part of her love affair with the Crossfit "cult" (don't get me started on that tangent).

About a year ago, she talked me into registering for an obstacle run being held in Podunk (a LivingSocial deal offering half off the registration fee was a strong motivator). We registered for the event, only to have it cancelled a week before it was scheduled to take place.

In all honesty, I was relieved. I had doubts about my ability to complete the race without killing myself, or at the very least, having to be carted out on a stretcher.

A year later, with the encouragement of that same co-worker and a Groupon deal, I registered for a Badass Dash - a 7K obstacle run. I was nervous as hell. I knew there was no way I'd be able to run the entire course, and I doubted my ability to even finish.

But I did finish.

Worse yet?

I really enjoyed doing it.

Sure, I was sore for two weeks (Really ... TWO weeks), and I had more scrapes and bruises that a 5-year old riding a bike for the first time without training wheels, but I finished the course.

Today I will be participating in my fourth event this year, and I couldn't be more excited.

It turns out that all of my fears - from being discovered unconscious in a supine position somewhere on the course, to being the fat girl who doesn't even belong on the course - were all unfounded.

These events are about team work (even if you are participating as an individual) and SUCCESS.

The events are run so that the elite, competitive athletes can do their thing and be challenged, and the weekend warriors can also do their thing and be challenged.

Today, I'll start the Rugged Maniac course in a slow jog, and likely be walking by the time I hit  the first obstacle. I'll attempt to complete every single obstacle - some I'll get through all on my own - some I'll need help to get through - and there will be one or two that get the best of me, and I'll have to walk around them.

And that's okay

I'll still feel accomplished when I hit that finish line!