Be Careful How You Start Your Day!

Saturday morning (well, afternoon), I woke up earlier than I wanted to. I was contemplating whether or not to go to the gym before the severe weather was set to arrive. Therefore, I picked up my phone and saw something political on Facebook. 

While I agreed with what was posted, it wasn’t the way to start my day. 

The intensity of what was posted really threw my whole Saturday off. Thus, it was a warning to me to beware of what I look at when I wake up. Oh, and to do my Duolingo lesson so I keep the little green owl happy. 

The time change kicked my ass on Sunday. But I started my day better than I had the previous one. I read a blog post from my cousin, which was bittersweet and talked about days gone by. Also included was a potato chip factory which recently closed. It was heartfelt, and it helped me enjoy my Sunday and my night off, even though I crashed early. 

It was a lazy weekend, but I made up for my mood and fatigue on Saturday by going to the gym on Sunday. On my way home, I drove around the new park just off Mount Pleasant Road. The first phase is done and there’s still some work that needs to be done. However, I’ll look forward to Spring and Summer nights when I can take walks and even have a picnic for myself. That led to a nice drive home through Downtown Greensburg. There, I drove past some of the landmarks (Courthouse and the Palace Theatre). Also, I found where this yoga studio is located that I’d like to check out.

The beginning of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday has started off beautiful with plenty of sunshine and mild weather. But, we need to remind ourselves that it’s still Winter (for 11 days and counting down). What a difference six weeks has made though.

I am not going to share my #goodnews on the socials all the time. But, I will be a good sport today and share some of the headlines from my weekend that were positive.

#goodnews from this weekend:

My sister and niece getting their black belts over the weekend. It’s been a great four-year journey and they’re taking a break this week. Things will reconvene next week. The girls practice Karate at Brave Martial Arts.

As I stated in the blog, it was a beautiful start to longer days as Sunday (and today) were picture perfect. Not as much sun Tuesday but still rain-free and even milder.

A nice closing to the pool at Hempfield Area High School with Saturday’s aqua club meet. I’ll be posting a blog about the pool as it’s on its last legs. Major renovations will begin at the high school this year as well.

#GoodNews coming to the Socials!

In 2020, when everything shut down due to the pandemic, I made it a habit to support local businesses in the area. I did this in person, and through Instagram and Facebook. Like everyone else, my way of life had been interrupted. I was getting used to things like social distancing and having to wear masks. 

At the same time, I was feeling lonely and looking for attention. All of the good that came out of 2019 had evaporated as the world shut down in the middle of March. I had become more active on Instagram, in addition to Facebook, and discovered some new faces. Like me, they were bloggers and some of them were influencers. One of them makes it her passion to find joy amidst all the chaos. She calls it #JoySpotted. I did this as well in 2020 and part of 2021, before my health issues and other chaos took over.  

I’ll leave the #JoySpotted name to the creator who came up with it. Instead, I’m starting #GoodNews and on the socials I’ll post some of the good things going on in my life. It’s hard to hear any good news on TV as most things you hear are negative. Whatever coffee I order is always #goodnews to me, for example. 

Speaking of coffee, I visited Cutie’s yesterday afternoon and enjoyed good coffee and good company. I got to catch up with some of the staff and am always trying to learn names and faces there. I also met the owner of a small cafe in Manor and we talked about Giant Eagle and other things. My Samoa Cookie Latte was amazing and my time there was well-spent. I’ll be back on Monday.

Something else that’s #goodnews is that I’ve become more active. I made many trips to the gym in February and it looks like a carbon copy in March. With longer days coming soon when the weather permits, I’ll take time to walk around one of the local parks. When I have a night off, I’ll be planning trips to Twin Lakes or Mammoth. As long as I get thirty minutes a day, I’ll feel like I accomplished something.  

Finally, I’ve been making some purchases with my gift cards from Christmas. I’ll begin reading the Josh Shapiro memoir in a couple of weeks, as we welcome the first weekend of Spring. He has my vote in November. In April, once I finish the NPR book then I’ll begin the Jazzmen,  which is about some of the famous Big Band jazz musicians of our time. My summer reading project is going to be 3 Shades of Blue, which goes into detail about Miles Davis’ best selling album “Kind of Blue”. Also covered is the cool jazz era of the 1950’s and ‘60s. 

I used my Old Navy card to update my wardrobe and ordered some new shirts and other pieces of clothing. Everything should arrive later this week and I’ll be putting together some cute comfy ‘fits. Something I can wear for a Sunday coffee trip, or for dinner plans when we relaunch the Dinner series soon. I’m thinking Eat’n Park for the Whale of a Cod for our first visit.

Blog 911: Taking Care of Yourself

March 30, 2021, started out like any normal day. I went to work (I was still at my old job and was working locally that morning). I would have a doctor’s appointment that afternoon as I was looking to get a referral for a dermatologist. Fun fact: It was my first trip to the doctor in 14 years, a third of my life. 

That afternoon at the doctor I got the news that I didn’t want to hear. I was diagnosed with AFib and high blood pressure. The reading was alarming (something like 200/100, which is heart attack/stroke level). I was sent to Excela Westmoreland Hospital on that mild early spring afternoon going into the evening. I didn’t even run home to pack a bag, just went straight to the hospital, and wouldn’t come home for days. They monitored my condition and put me on medication that has become household to me. My stay at Excela Westmoreland lasted four days. It was a bittersweet Easter Sunday as I was able to enjoy the holiday with loved ones. 

The experience was a wake-up call for me as I began to develop an action plan to lower my elevated blood pressure readings. During the Spring of 2021, and in the future months, I really began to consider my future. The big question was should I make some serious changes, besides watching what I eat?

It was business as usual the rest of the year as I kept working at my old job, but changes were coming later in the year. With my recent health issues, more sustainable employment and consistent hours would be better for me. Not too long after WIS merged with its competitor, I left my longtime place of employment and started working at Giant Eagle. 

Things changed for the better as I got established at Giant Eagle. I was able to sign up for better insurance the following January. A year later, I was eligible for the company’s benefits package. It was nice to take my week’s vacation during the holiday season in 2022, and have my first paid break in 15 years.  

Life has improved since the transition took place, but work still needs to be done. Over the last month, I’ve finally established a fitness routine and in recent months, have become more self-aware. I’m still trying to practice self-love and compliment myself as I know the struggle of trying to be my own authentic self. I can always spot other places I can improve as well. Eating more fruits and vegetables for one and shopping in the produce section more often is one way that I can do better. 

At my recent visit to the kidney doctor, I was told to cut out my intake of soda. I drink sparingly now, enjoying one when we have burgers. Next time, I may substitute fries for kettle chips. I’ve figured out my schedule and try to exercise five times a day now. With the clocks turning ahead on Sunday, that presents the opportunity for more time outside as well. Sunday’s weather is trending pleasant, so a trip to the park may be in order as the sun won’t set until after 7.  

It’s important to take care of ourselves, no matter what our schedules entail, and no matter the age. Even the best can find ways to improve.

Looking Forward to the Season of Luck!

Before we look ahead to March, let’s take a quick look back at February.

For starters, the month is ending warmer than it began. The last week of January saw snow and extreme cold. We challenged records by staying below freezing 18 days straight. Nowhere near 1977’s record cold though. We saw a warming trend as we got later into the month. February 10’s mild weather felt like a breath of fresh air as I drove down to Connellsville for the Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting.

February was also more active than the last month. I made it to the gym about three or four times a week, and I’ve begun to develop a routine there as well. Also, I’ve gotten used to the elliptical and may make that my go to machine for cardio. In addition, when the weather allowed me to, I took the time to walk around Hempfield Park. Valentine’s Day and today provided perfect opportunities, even though today was definitely the better as I saw less snow on the ground.

March will begin with snow showers and a wintry mix for some, before it warms up and we see multiple rain chances. This week will be very mild by early March standards. Keep in mind, Spring (which begins on March 20) doesn’t equal warmer weather. We’re up and down with warm days that make it feel like summer, and cooler days that can bring about a few snow flurries. Severe weather becomes the big weather story, and that sometimes means the threat for strong winds and tornadoes. The growing season begins to take shape and yardwork starts to get done. Landscaping projects are in the planning stages.

March Madness starts in the middle of the month, so you’re glued to the TV to see if your brackets will hold up. There could be big money riding on it. If you’re a baseball fan, you have Spring Training to get excited about.

Well now, I may have made a mistake on the calendar. This is never like me. First time for everything I guess.

I thought Easter Sunday was March 29 and it’s a week later. This may open the door for me attending the Division Contest in Blairsville. I was worried I might not go to a contest until the Spring Conference so this might my opportunity. The next week is Good Friday, and that’s always a busy time at the store. It makes more sense for me to be there which brings me to the opportunity cost.

An opportunity cost is a term I learned in my Economics class a long time ago. It means the value of the next-best alternative given up when making a decision. Attending this contest means that the trade off is missing a party for a friend of mine. But, I’m also prioritizing work during an important time there (Easter).

February saw a return to Cutie’s with three visits. I also made stops at White Rabbit, Steep Mountain, and Caleese. March is going to see more Cutie’s visits plus a stop at Caleese. I am in love with that Leprechaun Lotus that I saw on Caleese’s Instagram page. I’m also thinking about visiting the Trendy Event Cafe across from Hannastown Golf Club. I believe it’s in the old Triangle Tech location. 

I had a few doctors’ visits in February, first to the kidney doctor and then to a sleep specialist. I have a sleep study scheduled in April, but I have a few questions before I go there. I want to make sure the study fits a normal sleep schedule, as I usually work overnight. I also want to make sure it’s covered by my insurance. That way, I don’t get stuck with a bill for something that may or may not have worked. 

Time to close off the blog. 

The end of this month marks five years since I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. It was an event that was a wake-up call and it effected real change in my life. I was in the hospital for four days, and came home on Easter Sunday.  I’d eventually leave my longtime job of over ten years and would wind up at Giant Eagle late in 2021. Many factors that led to my exit from WIS included COVID and the merger with their competitor in the Fall of that year. Simply put, my time at WIS had met its end.

Focused on Success at Laurel Highlands Toastmasters!

Tuesday night, I made the drive down to Connellsville for our hybrid Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting. We had seven in attendance, with three including me in person and four online. Our theme was “Focused on Success”. 

Right now, we are focusing on success as we get credit for our awards. Goals that we want to focus on are growing membership and retaining our existing membership base as well. March is coming, so we would like to focus on reinvesting in our future and the club as well. 

I signed up for Toastmaster and introduced our speaker who gave a great Innovative Planning on the 5 M words important to us. Our founding member and Program Quality Director Sharon gave the invocation and included me in it too. She complimented me on the sweater that I was wearing. Thanks, it’s Old Navy. 

That made me feel good and boosted my confidence. I do this journey to be an inspiration to people to be their authentic selves. If you are curious, I was wearing my Leopard Print sweater. 

We had double duty at our meeting with Ryan and Cosmas serving multiple roles. A first that I witnessed at Laurel Highlands (or any meeting) was the Round Robin for a Speech Evaluator. Reason being is that Ryan is representing the club in Saturday’s Area 23 Evaluation Contest. All of us in the club gave him feedback to improve his performance in lieu of taking home first prize.

We scheduled our officers’ meeting for the next night, and our president was able to take notes on What’sApp.

Our next three meetings are March 10, March 24, and April 14.

Farewell, Fab Five!

Well now, after eight years and ten seasons, the makeover show Queer Eye has wrapped up its run. The tenth and final season was released on Netflix on January 21. 

The revival of the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy began in 2018. Five “experts” were called to help a person make some changes in their live. The experts were Karamo (Culture), Bobby (Design), Tan (Fashion), Antoni (Food and Wine), and Jonathan (Grooming). The person who got nominated underwent that special treatment for a five day period. 

I began watching the series in the Fall of 2022, just about a year after my big life transition. I caught up on the previous seasons fairly quickly, beginning with the Atlanta seasons and then going into Kansas City. These two cities encompassed 2018 and 2019, pre-pandemic. I was able to enjoy the New Orleans run of seasons seven and eight when it came out in the Spring of 2023 and again in the Winter of 2024. 

After season eight wrapped up in early 2024, the original Design expert, Bobby Berk, left the show to pursue other projects. Fans were upset and I wasn’t even sure I would continue to watch. I kind of had an idea what was going on behind the scenes, but I wasn’t going to let that phase me. I have Bobby’s design book and another book that covers the show. I got this as a Christmas gift in 2022 along with the laptop I’m using to work on these blogs. 

Berk’s replacement, Jeremiah Brent, is well known for his show on TLC that he was on with his husband. Brent has been a solid replacement for Bobby. Brent’s husband is Nate Berkus. Perhaps you’ve heard of him too. 

I could talk about all of the heroes whose lives have been changed by the Fab Five. For the sake of giving you more, I’m only going to mention a few from the later years. Remember the saying that less is more. Billy is from the ninth season which took place in Vegas. He worked as a children’s librarian, and was very creative and authentic. As iconic as he was, his home definitely required some attention. Fab Five to the rescue!

From the D.C. run, the episode that really stood out to me was “Coming In Hot”. Hello, this is almost me to a complete T. At least that’s my opinion of myself. Kate was the nominee. She was a firefighter and a single mother to twin girls and one feature about all three of them was their red hair. Kate was definitely a tough nut to crack, especially early on as Karamo, Tan, and Jeremiah could never seem to get through to her. It was so frustrating. 

She has dealt with her share of trauma and loss. Her family experienced a serious house fire in 2019. The scene where Jeremiah takes her and her daughter forging really hit me good. She breaks down as she holds on to trauma and grief and it’s up to Jeremiah to give her some tough love. It isn’t until she meets up with Antoni and JVN that her mood starts to shift for the better. Jeremiah had said, “You have to be willing to change and that we (the Fab Five) can only do so much”. People can compliment me on my fabulous sense of style all they want, but it’s ultimately up to me to love myself. 

The Fab Five paid their tributes to the show in the closing credits throughout season ten. As the credits rolled, it was hard for me not to get emotional as I witnessed the experts break down. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Great show and I’m going to miss it.

Retail Therapy Coming Soon!

While my Cutie’s visit was just me yesterday, I still made the most of my Sunday afternoon. The snow didn’t keep me from going to downtown Greensburg, as it was mostly gone by the time I woke up. I wasn’t able to meet up with friends, but that meant the opportunity was there to brainstorm some ideas for upcoming blog posts. That, and beginning the next chapter in my NPR book. 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and that’s exactly what I did. I even turned those ideas into a blog post, which I’m working on this evening and tomorrow morning. As for my drink I ordered the Pistachio Latte, since that seems to be all the rage right now.

Overall, the drink and the afternoon were a 5/5. 

Lesson: Your plans may not work out the way you want to, but adjust and make the most of those opportunities nonetheless. 

It’s the last week of February, so I’m going to look ahead to what March has to offer in this upcoming blog. From March Madness to speech contests and plenty of great coffee, it’s going to be a great month. With longer days comes the opportunity to take trips to the park and get some outdoor walks in. If the weather is nice, a picnic may also be in the plans. March is a time for new beginnings as we change the clocks and the seasons. 

Queer Eye recently wrapped up after an eight year run on Netflix. The final season was released on January 21 with five episodes. The season takes place in Washington DC. I finished the ninth season tonight which took place in Vegas. Thursday night is a series wrap for me watching the show. I’ve enjoyed every season and I’ll post what the best episodes were over the series’ run. At least one recent episode from the later seasons has really resonated with me. 

Christmas is two months behind us now as we are in the last week of February. In two weeks, we will Spring ahead and cherish the longer days. I think it’s time to engage in some retail therapy, thus putting my gift cards to good use. My reading list is set for the Spring as I’m set on what I’m going to buy. I’ll either go to B&N or use my Amazon gift card this week. I’m going to begin Where We Keep the Light as we approach Spring and the Jazzmen by the time we reach April. 

I proudly voted yes to retain the three Supreme Court justices (Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht) this past November.  Fittingly, I’m saying yes to learning about the three Jazzmen (Satchmo, Duke, and the Count) as well as enriching myself about my Governor’s story. Three Shades of Blue and a book about the First Lady of Song are on my list for the Summer. 

Besides reading, I’m also going to look for some more activewear as I keep up my gym routine in 2026. In addition, I want to keep my wardrobe updated and maintain my stylish, chic appearance as well. 

As we welcome the month of March and warmer weather to follow, I would like to live up my New Year’s Resolution of finding new interest. But, in order to achieve that goal, I need to learn to practice patience and take time to grow in my journey. It’s like being out of college or at that age and you’re eager to begin at the top. You want that great, high paying job but don’t understand the struggle to get there. I need to learn that everyone starts somewhere, even at 44. Great things take time.

Reflections of Summer at Allegheny Mountains Toastmasters!

On Thursday night, I attended the Allegheny Mountains Toastmasters club via Zoom. I came because I wanted to cheer on one of my good friends who was speaking about her Toastmasters journey so far. I met Dr. Liz and her husband last year at the Area Speech Contest that was being held in Johnstown. As a matter of fact, that will have been exactly one year ago tomorrow. 

The Area Contest is next Saturday in the same place, but due to work commitments I am unable to attend. 

Liz’s presentation was very thorough and informative. She began her path in the Summer of 2023 and shared with us how Toastmasters has helped her.  She also talked about the Speech-a-thons that she held last year. I attended the second one in April via zoom. Her husband also spoke as well. I got to learn a little bit about him and what he does for a living.

As Liz reflected on her path last night, it reminded me of the time I also shared the same speech. I began my path in July 2020 and reflected on it in September 2024. I’m no stranger to speaking, having joined Toastmasters in June 2011. The end of this year will mark 15 years for me. It took me eight years to achieve my Distinguished Toastmaster, getting the award in August 2019. 

In that time since getting my DTM, I dealt with a lot of things. Discouragement has probably been the biggest factor due to COVID and having to get used to the new medium. Other factors include: 

  • Burnout following my Distinguished Toastmasters achievement.
  • Job transition as I left a longtime place of employment. 
  • In my journey, I’ve also dealt with feelings of rejection.
  • Trying to gain acceptance upon coming out (I’m still unsure whom I identify as)
  • Impatience from trying to get attention and growing too fast in my fashion journey. I should have taken a step back as I was getting established in my new job back early in 2022. 
  • Insecurity from lack of self-love and other things. 

Despite all of this, I completed my path and am still thriving in my Toastmasters journey. After some time away from giving speeches, I plan to begin another magnificent speaking streak this Spring.  

Our Table Topics Master kept with the theme of Summer, and presented us with some warm and sunny topics. I ranked the seasons from favorite to least favorite. While Summer is not #1, it’s still up there. While Winter isn’t at the bottom, I choose as my least favorite. Yes, the days are longer but you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. March and April can still present opportunities for snow to fall. As we learned last May, it can be a cool month. The warm weather teases are nice, but don’t get too attached, especially in PA. At the end of the night, I even won Best Table Topic speaker. 

As a bonus before we moved onto the evaluation portion of the meeting, Phil asked us what we least like about Summer. Everyone gave some interesting answers. A majority said it was the heat and humidity. 

We had a round robin evaluation as the club all gave their feedback on the awesome speeches from the Kopcos. We wrapped up at 7:15 and I thanked Liz for the invite.

De-Stressing at Greensburg Toastmasters!

Last night, I went back to Greensburg Toastmasters after having missed the prior meeting. This was due to doctor’s appointments and the need to rest up for work. We had two guests in attendance, one who’s been part of Toastmasters in the past. The second guest was new to Toastmasters. 

We had an amazing agenda lined up with two spectacular speakers. One gave part of a keynote address that he’s going to be presenting in front of a group. The other speaker taught us how to de-stress from politics. Our Table Topics master asked some of us what we would do in certain everyday situations. 

In total, 11 people attended the meeting (nine members and two guests). We made the necessary adjustments and I was pleased with the new workspace. Extra lighting helped too.

Four of us who were at the meeting, consisting of three members and one guests, had a connection to one of the former clubs in District 13. Out of the three members and one guest, we were part of the old McKeesport Club. This club ran from 1951 until 2024. I served as a club coach and member of the McKeesport Toastmasters club from March 2016 until January 2020. 

When I was in the club, they held their meetings at Faith Lutheran Church in White Oak. The church hosted the Division A Contest two years in a row (in 2023 and 2024). That March 2024 divisional contest would be the last event that the club was part of. On the 31st of the month (the next day), the club suspended operations after nearly three quarters of a century. Low membership was likely one of the key factors, as the club had only six members around that time. 

Still, it was a fitting sendoff for the longtime club. McKeesport was also the home club for one of the past District 13 Directors.

I’ll close it off by talking about Anna Lisa’s speech. She presented a speech on political de-stressing and it was a good one. She taught us two things we can do that will help us not to go crazy when having a political discussion with someone.

I learned that we cannot change their mind no matter how hard we try. Instagram has a social media platform called Threads and there is a lot of political posts on there. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed on that or any other social media platform if you’re not careful.

Two tools she mentioned in her speech were a mantra and a physical activity. The mantra is to say this: Thank goodness we agree to disagree agreeably. The physical activity: breathe in for about four seconds. Following that, breathe out using your mouth. As you’re breathing out, make sure that the tongue on the roof of your mouth.

When the discussion is over and you go your separate ways, just remember this:

I know I’m right!

We wrapped up the meeting at 7:50 and some of us enjoyed the rest of the evening. Our next three meetings take us into March and the beginning of Spring. Thursday night, I’ll be attending the Allegheny Mountains meeting.

Reading Newsweek During My College Days!

I’m into the Morning Edition part of my NPR book now. The show debuted in 1979, and I’m at the part around the beginning of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

Reading this book and familiarizing myself with the shows and personalities of NPR takes me back to my senior year of high school. Also, that summer before I started college. One of the biggest transitions in my life at the time was coming, and that would be me living away from home.

Around this time, I was listening to 90.5, which was Pittsburgh’s jazz station at the time. They had a smooth jazz channel but that format didn’t last long. In 1996, I was more into the hits that were being played on B94. Also, the station was part of Duquesne University.

I got a subscription to Newsweek from my Gramma around my birthday in 2000. It was the perfect time to get that subscription as we were entering into a big presidential election season. Al Gore was running against George W. Bush. I was educating myself on the candidates and their running mates, Joe Lieberman and Dick Cheney.

How good it felt back not to be ostracized for whom I was voting for. I should have learned to tell people to mind their own business.

We would have a new president no matter which party won. I took Government during my senior year, before the election season really kicked off. Therefore, it would have been interesting to follow the race in class. That 2000 presidential election was also known for the ‘chads’ that were of the hanging, dimpled, or the pregnant kind. Amazing how that headline still sticks with me 25 years later. It decided the election though and why third party voting is useless. 

While I spent my senior year listening to NPR and the jazz selections on 90.5, I was also interested in the genre as well. Once I arrived at HGA, I was limited. I wasn’t able to pick up most of the Pittsburgh stations in Johnstown. This was 2000, before online streaming really took off. But I was able to get accustomed to the different radio stations the town had to offer. I listened to a lot of Power 99.1 (now Rocky 99) and 96.5 The Mountain (now 96 Key). The frequencies switched by the mid 2000’s, just as my college era was ending.

Closing off the blog, I’m planning to buy Governor Josh Shapiro’s new memoir within the next week. Not sure if it’ll be Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or locally (Completely Booked?). I’m saying yes to learning more about our Governor, and also when it comes to reading about the Jazzmen (Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie). I’ve been perusing the books on Amazon and plan on buying them soon. Maybe I’ll start once I get to halfway on the NPR book. I’m trying to limit my intake of books on political figures, as I easily get triggered from all I see on social media. 

Looking well ahead (late Spring, early Summer), I have another book I’m interested in is “Three Shades of Blue”. This is another jazz-centered read that goes into the cool jazz era. The author has also penned biographies on Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. He also co-wrote with Jerry Lewis and John McEnroe.