Be Careful How You Come In!

Yesterday, I braved the cold weather and occasional snow squall and went to White Rabbit for my weekly coffee visit. I got the matcha latte, found my table, and watched the world go by. Tonight, I’m back in town for my Greensburg Toastmasters meeting. 

Why am I mentioning these two instances where I go downtown in the same paragraph? Let me explain. 

When I was leaving to go to White Rabbit yesterday afternoon, I saw that the price of gas had gone up. In the news right now, you’re probably hearing a lot about the war in Iran. Keep reading, this isn’t a political blog and I’m not going to give my opinion. 

Everything present and past has me so triggered, to the point that it will ruin my experiences as I go out and about. It had me coming in hot. Now what does coming in hot mean? Coming in hot is a phrase that figuratively means to approach a situation in a state of anger and tension. 

Now, I’m not coming home after a crazy night at work feeling this way. This is how I get from reading things on social media. I say things I don’t really mean (we’ve all done it) and sometimes put it in the comments (before deleting it). 

Almost two weeks ago, I posted a blog reminding my readers to be careful how they start their day. I saw an article on Facebook, politically centered, and it got my blood boiling. I won’t get into detail, but it did throw off my entire day.

Fortunately, I blew off that steam and had a relaxing visit at White Rabbit. I ordered a Matcha Latte and watched the snow fall and the world go by. I’m getting pretty far in my NPR book and later this week I’ll begin that new memoir from our governor. 

Lesson learned: Don’t come in hot. Instead, be calm, cool, and collected. Also, I’m continuing in my nontraditional fashion journey (when I almost quit earlier this year). Therefore, in addition, I will be brave, confident, and chic.

I finished up Queer Eye a few weeks ago with the final few episodes. Last week I started watching the medical drama The Pitt on HBO Max. I’m only two episodes in and so far I like what I’ve seen. While I’ve only seen a few episodes, I think it’s crazy that each episode covers an hour of a hospital worker’s shift. I’ll have a more thorough review at the end of the month and later in April when I finish the first season. There are two seasons with a third season coming (likely January 2027).

Finally, I want to talk about a writing project I’ve had my eyes on for a while. It takes place during my vacation in June 2024. I was excited to take my week off from work and had some fun things planned. But that Spring, a storm was brewing in me emotionally.

I had embarked on my nontraditional fashion journey since 2021. It hasn’t come without bumps in the road, however. I wasn’t getting clicks on social media that I needed to feel “approved”, and that summed up my 2022. That, plus I came into the year with a few chips on my shoulder. There was the Bud Light controversy in 2023, and I let the talking heads and their opinions get to me. I almost gave up right then and there, but went back at the last minute.

In 2024, it was more of the same as I wasn’t getting clicks. In addition, I let some negative thoughts numb me emotionally. I was at TLI at the beginning of my vacation in 2024 and for the most part, it went well. On the outside.

On the inside, I wasn’t feeling it, and that hindered what was an amazing experience at my club officer training.

In this journey, bravery and confidence has mixed with fear and uncertainty. It didn’t help that the Presidential election results were not in my favor. Yet I didn’t fold up and die.

While I’ve been looking for approval and acceptance from others, I need to find it within myself.

No acceptance or approval needed. Just self-love.

A Better Week Than Last!

This weekend and the start to the new week have begun a lot better than the last one. Maybe it’s because of the time change, but I digress. We are in the last week of winter before Spring officially makes its arrival Friday morning at 10:46am. But, winter will make at least one final appearance early this week before the change in seasons. 

Yesterday, I took advantage of the mild weather and checked out that new park that opened just off of Mount Pleasant Road. It’s located above the Weatherwood Nursing Home Complex. The park is currently a work in progress as one phase of it has been completed, with newer buildings in the planning process. The second phase is set to be complete in the Fall of 2027. 

What is operating though, is a playground and exercise area, and there is a walking path which ends close to Cedar Street. You can see the exit and US 30 Westbound from the path. There is also a splash pad which will get used a lot more when summer comes. This community park (I soon learned the name is Founders Park) will be a nice addition to Hempfield Township. 

The reviews on Google and comments on Facebook aren’t worth reading. Check out the park for yourself and give your own honest opinion. 

I reinvested in my future this weekend! Toastmasters Club Dues need to be paid by the end of the month and I took advantage of the online self-pay to renew my membership at my two clubs (Greensburg and Laurel Highlands). I’m four speeches away from finishing my Presentation mastery Path and I’m trying my best to lead our clubs to success. Completing one of my levels will help Laurel Highlands on the path to hopefully, Smedley Distnguished.  In addition, completing the Presentation Mastery Path will get Greensburg to Distinguished as I’d give them my last two levels.

Thus, a lot is riding on getting these projects done over the next few months! 

I’m looking ahead to the upcoming Division Contest next week, and need to get on the ball to register for the upcoming Spring Conference in May. 

I seem to be getting an exercise routine down now by scheduling time at the gym and outside, weather permitting. Thursday through Monday are days I’m setting aside to work out. I’m trying to get that ratio of gym time to outside time around 3 to 2, or 60/40. The three days I’m at the gym will be for arms, legs, and cardio. One for each day. Before and after I’m done, I also walk the Westmoreland Mall Annex, going from Planet Fitness to EDO Hibachi, and from the gym to the movie theater. That gives me fifteen free minutes to add to my exercise ring. 

My next challenge is to visit another Planet (I have a black card) and walk before and after my visits. Norwin Town Square or Latrobe are on my radar.

Remembering the Spartan Swimming Pool!

On Saturday, the Hempfield Aqua Club held their meet at the Spartan Swimming Pool on Hempfield Area High School campus. It was a bittersweet day for the aqua club. That’s because the meet was the last one to be held at the pool.

The high school is set to undergo major renovations after the school year has wrapped up at the end of the year. The pool itself is beyond cooked, as are parts of the High School. The renovations have been needed and were long awaited. The end result will hopefully be a state of the art facility.

The team and the aqua club will travel to different sites for their home meets in 2026-27. A lot of swimmers whom I went to school with, as well as the next generation, are excited for the changes coming. It’s a range of emotions though as we are sad to see the old pool fall on hard times. Building up the aqua club has lead to Coach Clougherty crafting a strong team over the years. It’s a team that has spent time competing at regional and state championship meets.

Many of Kevin’s former swimmers have gone on to lead successful lives. On Social Media this weekend, some of the original aqua club swimmers shared their memories of the pool. There’s been talk about being able to take some of the old deck tile from the pool to keep in remembrance. I’m looking forward to seeing the new design, and being there when it opens.

I was proud to part of the team during Kevin’s early coaching days.

The pool’s closing is emotional for me as well. It was during my sophomore year of high school that the new coach of the swim team took me under his wing. He was looking for a manager to help him out at practice and at the meets. I was hesitant at first but I agreed to become part of the team.

In my three years with the team, I never knew what kind of legacy I’d leave. I graduated in 2000 and went on to college, but never forgot about the team or Mr. Clougherty. In 2007, I was home from college as I’d graduated from Slippery Rock. I’d come up and visit during practice and even attended a few meets in those early post-academic days.

From what Kevin has told his swimmers, it seems that I’ve left quite a legacy indeed.

Thanks to social media (which is not really the coach’s strong suit), I get to keep up with how good the team is. Over the nearly 30 years he’s coached the team, he’s developed a lot of good athletes. I know he’s having a good time at the championships right now and we will get together soon to have dinner.

Happy Birthday from Laurel Highlands Toastmasters!

Tuesday night was a night for celebration at our Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting. It was the birthday of our founding member and the District’s current Program Quality Director. 

I arrived early to the meeting with my cookies and when I walked in a little bit after 5, the room was already looking decorated. Still, my help was needed wherever. Therefore, I helped set some tablecloths and hang up a Happy Birthday streamer. It’s hanging above the banner in my picture at the top. 

The guest of honor arrived just before the meeting got started and loved all the work that we put into making the room look amazing. Our president even scheduled social time for the first 15 minutes of the meeting while we enjoyed an amazing spread. That was all put together by our founding member’s sister. I was eyeing that cheesecake, of which I was wanting a slice at some point during the evening. 

The spread consisted of food from the Caribbean, including rice and beans and ox tail. There were also fried plantains. I ate a few of those at Kennywood’s Bites and Pints event last summer at the start of my week off. 

The agenda was a full one, with three speakers lined up to present. Our newest speaker, our contest speaker, and our backup speaker all gave great speeches. I got to evaluate Nick’s second speech. He gave his ice breaker a couple of meetings ago. Last night, he taught us how a simple thing like a jellybean can impact our opinions. Nick put a lot of effort and detail into the speech. With the gloves he passed out at the beginning, I was expecting a speech about ways we can beat the next virus/outbreak. 

I was wordmaster for the meeting. I don’t to toot my own horn, but I couldn’t have a found a more perfect word for last night’s festivities. That word of the day was…. 

Celebration.

We celebrated our friend’s birthday last night, and here at home, we’ve been celebrating the warm spring-like weather. The price of that today has been showers and storms, some of which have brought damaging winds, hail, and even tornadoes. Seasonal weather makes a return this weekend, and we’re not done with that four letter word quite yet. 

For me, I’m also celebrating. I didn’t want to overshadow our birthday girl on this blog, but I want to recognize as well. For one, I’ve made it to 900 blogs. I achieved that in February. But I’m celebrating how confident and brave I’ve been. I’ve been going back to my nontraditional ways, even after wanting to stop again. It’s brave because of the administration we have running things. 

The outfit of the day was my leopard print cardigan. The green shirt my friend commented on was a sweater tank top. I got a nice compliment about my cheetah sweater two weeks earlier so I had pulled a deja vu. I felt good and I even lost the cardigan when I went up to perform my roles. 

I’m breaking out of my introverted ways and showing off my unique sense of style again. My Old Navy haul arrives later this week so I’m looking forward to trying my clothes on and, hopefully, adding them to my wardrobe.

We concluded the meeting a little after 7:30pm, and yes I did get to enjoy a slice of that cheesecake. I also had a decadent cupcake that was lemon-flavored. I was playing it safe by eating it with a fork. 

Our next two meetings are March 24 and April 14, with the Division Speech and Evaluation Contest occurring on March 28. I’ll be at all three events.

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.