coming back down...

October was an especially crazy month. Stupid crazy. But it's done and I survived. I took my first "B" (albeit a B+) in my coursework, but I'm honestly okay with that. The class was challenging, and if I had not been taking another class co-currently I probably could have done better - but who really cares?

It's getting close to Thanksgiving. Close to Christmas...close to the end of the year. Some events of this week have brought me to look back on '09 and evaluate. While there were moments, all in all, I can say it's been a good year. I have worked hard to get where I'm at, and I am proud of the things I have accomplished. I've set goals, and accomplished some, and still working on others.

As 2009 rounds out I can now say I have lived in this town for over 6 years. In those six years I found love, what I hope to be a career, and several passions along the way. I've learned a lot about myself, and I've learned a lot about other people, and my relationships with them. I have some great relationships. Some I get to experience everyday, and some I get to experience only on occasion. I'm very appreciative for all my relationships. Some I get to enjoy and embrace, some I get to learn and grow from. Some grow stronger every day, and others wilt and fade away. Whatever the state of the relationship, it's been a blessing.

To all my friends - currently and in the past - thank you for your blessings.

No time

I've been a super lousy poster lately. Trust me when I say my facebook page has not been much better. It's just that in the last 5 weeks or so, my life has exploded into a form of craziness that I cannot quite describe. Simply put, I have way way too much stuff going on right now. Work has been especially busy with dealines approaching for required trainings, pressure from bosses to get things caught up, drama with people (those close to me know way too much about that subject) and the list goes on. Realistically, I should be working some serious OT, but the fact of the matter is, I can't. I am also trying to get 2 classes done right now for school, and that eats up a lot of my spare time. I really don't know what I was thinking taking these two classes this session (scratch that, I know what I was thinking....I WANT TO BE DONE) but I have survived 5 weeks of the maddess of that, and so I only have 3 to go, and then go ahead and tack on increased gym drama combined with trying to memorize new chorey for launch...and I'm officially burned out.

I'm trying to manage everything the best I can, which doesn't exactly mean sitting here and writin on my blog, but I had to break from writing a paper. So anyway, to any of my friends who feel neglected...don't. And I wish I had something more interesting to put here...but the only thoughts running through my head right now pertain to writing my paper on the movie "12 Angry Men". Laters.

My 10 year high school reunion

Friday night I traveled back to Yakima for a night of reconnection with people I spent a great deal of time with 10 years ago. The husband did not attend with me, which was fine, and all in all, it was a good night.

High school for me was the epitome of awkward. I was a completly different person then. Hard to believe, but I was much more opinionated, and frankly, bitchy, then I am now. I was excited to "show" people the person I have become.

But the night came around, and I really didn't conversate with those people who I wanted to show up. It was like the same high school cliques 10 years later. Now, that might sound a bit harsh, but I mainly spent the night with the same group of people I was friends with 10 years ago. It was really nice to reconnect with them, and it made me miss them.

There was a part of me that didn't want to go. That part of me that remembers how I felt in high school. Intimidated, trying to fit in with people who were prettier, smarter, more athletic, more funny, and all around, just better people (or at least I thought at the time). I didn't need another night of trying to feel equal to those people. It was really funny to see how 10 years changed people though. Not so much physically, but humanly. 10 years later, we were all working adults, some with kids, some married, but adults. Those people who treated me like absolute crap in high school wanted to know how I was, what I was doing, if I was married....and some of those people I didn't even remembe their names. What does that say about me?

But at the end of the night, I had a really good time reconnecting with the friends that mattered the most - and enjoyed seeing the different paths people have taken over the past 10 years. Wonder what the next 10 will bring.

It's been a while...

My summer brought with it a new definition of crazy.

For four weeks I was enrolled in 3 classes. Sufice to say I will not be doing that again (though I will be doing another session of 2 at a time in the fall) and pile on top of that being in a wedding and taking the first real vacation with the DH in like 7 years, I have hardly had a moment to do anything real enjoyable. Like blog.

Without whining too badly I do want to say that I am tired. Tired of always feeling like I have too much to do and not enough time to get it done it. But things will be better for a few weeks while I am on a break from school.

The DH and I took a nice trip to Boston and Buffalo. While in Boston we watched my uncle retire from the Coast Guard (was a 2 star admiral) and then took in a few of the sites. From there we traveled to Buffalo to see Niagra Falls and the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was really not a "relaxing" vacation, but it was fun. And it was nice to get away from all of the craziness for a few days. Of course, the craziness just waited for us to return.

So, sadly enough - I have nothing exciting to write about. I am getting ready to participate in my first triathlon in a couple weeks. This should be an interesting experience. Of course I would love to be able to be training for it right now - but it's too hot. It's too hot to do much of anything except sit inside and blog.

How to train future servant-leaders

Watch if you think you might be interested in my approach to training future servant-leaders in my organization. Skip if you don't care.

Communication in the Community: Ice Harbor Brewing Company

I once made the mistake of ordering a Coors Light in this pub. It was served to me in a paper bag. “What’s with the paper bag?” I inquired to the bartender who was very serious about my beer wrapping. “It’s so the locals don’t hassle you” he responded. Looking around the pub, I don’t see a whole lot of paper bags. In fact, mine is the only one. Could I really have been the only person here who ordered a bottled beer? As it turns out, I was. The patrons of this pub, known for its micro brews, range in age from the barely legal to the more refined generations. And they apparently know more about the beer here than I do. Ice Harbor was established in 1997 and has since grown their wide customer base not just by serving great beer, but also by serving their community. Ice Harbor didn’t get to be known around the Tri-Cities by just having good beer. Marketing, and an active presence at local events have helped this community connect the name “Ice Harbor Brewery” to Tri-cities. Mike Hall, owner of the pub, states they participate in about 40 community events each year. These events range from small private weddings, to weekly concerts in the park, to the largest event of our community, the yearly Water Follies. Of course, you don’t leave your mark on a community just by showing up to their events to sell your product; you leave that mark by how you serve your community. In addition to a great amount of money given to local events and charities, “I’ve never seen Mike turn anyone away who’s asked for a raffle donation” quotes Freeman, a long time pub employee. Ice Harbor has two locations. One, a pub and family restaurant, brings together food, beer, and ambiance reflective of the Columbia Basin. The “Ice Harbor, Clover Island” is a brightly decorated establishment. A nautical theme, common to the Columbia River serves central to the pub’s décor. The walls are lined with pictures, news clippings, and other tokens representative of the Columbia River and Valley. I look up to my right at one of the news clippings. It is a picture of George Bush II, shaking hands with some workers. The caption reads “President Bush visits Ice Harbor Dam, August 22nd, 2003”. Looking around at the dining families, one wonders if parents are teaching their children the benefit of supporting local business. In a world of PF Changs, McDonalds, and Applebees, a successful small pub/restaurant can be hard to find. It hasn’t always been years of patrons filling the pubs, or a continual presence throughout the community. Ice Harbor has become successful the same way most do – through years of hard work and learning from failure. “The first seven years were really rough for the business” says Hall. “We tried radio, television, rural marketing – people went back to other part time jobs, invested more of their money into the business, and did what they needed to make the business go” says Hall. Today, it seems those efforts have paid off.
I tell the waiter I want the dish most reflective of the “Ice Harbor” pub (and one that will compliment my tangerine “Exbeerience” Hefeweizen). He recommends the Halibut and Chips – because the batter on the fish is made with the pubs own pale ale as a base. Though I’m not a particular fan of fried foods, I know this Halibut will be different, and perhaps much better than halibut I have had anywhere else. While waiting for my food, I ask “why is this place different?”. Looking around, it is obvious the patrons have come for much more than just a bite to eat and a good beer. They have come to enjoy the ambiance of a pub next to the river, which is unlike any other restaurant in town. People are not in a hurry to leave. They casually drink their beer or wine, amongst the company of friends. Watching the patrons, it becomes obvious how a local successful business helps to make communication in the community come full circle. The people of Tri-Cities give their dollars to Ice Harbor in exchange for a good product in a pleasing environment, and Ice Harbor gives their dollars back in support of the things that make this community a great place to live. NOTE: The musician seen playing at the bar at the end of the video is the talented Jim Basnight. He wrote and sang the songs heard at the beginning of the Ice Harbor video, and the songs playing during the interviews toward the end. If you like what you hear, check him out at www.jimbasnight.com

very cool night

So I just have to share with you all (all 3 of you) a really cool experience I had tonight. I went down to Ice Harbor Brew pub (the original location) with the sole purpose of having 1 beer, being a weird stalker in the corner, to get some video of the life there to finish my project for one of my classes. Well, I sat by myself at a table for quite some time nursing my beer (their "Summer Lager" which I have to say is quite good). The bar had a solo guitarist playing and I had already talked to him to let him know I would be taping and that I wanted to interview him. Well, I was patiently waiting for him to finish his set so I could get my interview and leave, and the table next to me asked me if I wanted to join them.

Now I have to say, I think people my age don't just ask strangers to join their table of friends. I am so glad these people did, because they ended up being the neatest group of people I have met in a very long time. I don't often go out by myself (because, lets face it - it's not very fun or a very cool thing to do) but on this night - going out by myself enabled me to me some really cool people, hear some really great music, and hopefully get enough good footage to get an A on my project!

I'm just smiling right now. :)