Hello, Lakewood!

Rise and shine!
On a Saturday? Cori, are you okay? 

Guys, I was meeting up with the Costanza clan and heading north to Lakewood. The Vega's were waiting on the other side, and so were a cast of folks I'd not yet met, but was looking forward very much to getting to know.

Roooooad trip!

We piled into the van at the Costanza house and wasted no time finding the highway northbound. It was a smooth ride nearly the entire way, until we hit a stretch of unpaved roadway and a broken down semi that resulted in nearly an hour of lost time. Good thing there were some interesting views along the way:

What should've been 4 hours turned into 5, but the end was all that much better when we rolled into the driveway of the Constanzas' friends, and were greeted by them, their 4 awesome kiddos and of course, Talsy & David!

We settled in, exchanged introductions and cozied up with some heated blankets to talk with the Vega's about the recent happenings in the mountains of Panama. It's been just a little over a year since we've seen Talsy & David; we've all changed so much but still hardly at all [if that makes any sense at all] in just a years' time.

talsy. david. chris

OH, and I experienced Angelo's for the first time. This place alone would be enough to bring me back. Thanks for ruining pizza anywhere else for me for the rest of time, Angelo's... haha. 

this place.. yummmm...

The night wound down as David & Talsy headed back to their host home for the night, the kids all headed upstairs to bed, some of us took showers and then started to wind down until the air mattress was finally inflated, the couch was made and each of us retired to our respective spots for the night. 

Tomorrow: Church at Crosspoint, where the Vega's will share the update on the missions with us. I'm ready & excited to experience Crosspoint and see what they're all about. Plus, Todd gifted us with these super soft and super comfy shirts [thanks, guys!!!]

thank you!!

Good night, Lakewood! 

xo | cmd

Fridays CAN Be Fun! ;)

I started off the day by waking up to a head of hair that had apparently been through a battle royale overnight; my Spanish genes apparently came out victorious after I'd gone to sleep on wet hair... curls for Friday it was!

And then there was the matter of appropriate and sufficient caffeination:

^ This little guy sparked a variety of comments, from my sweet friends complimenting the lion's mane, to Rob, of course, who attempted and succeeded at borrowing a spot in the limelight of my post. My question: Who wore it better?! ♥♥

who wore it best? 

I didn't realize until after I'd posted this that Mare, aaaalll the way over there in Vermont, was having a similar Stanley-fueled morning:

I have such like-minded friends ♥♥...

Work was a blur, like it usually is, but I have a renewed energy in me this week, I think due mostly to the fact that I'll have a support person back here on the staffing side in just one more week. I can hang on until then, I'm pretty sure.

And just in case I wasn't sure, my team and I were pleasantly but completely surprised when the Pizza Hut delivery guy came sweeping into our office, clad with two pizzas that had been bought and sent to us by one of our truck-driving associates.

I mean... we have an incredible crew of associates who work for us, but it's times like this that stressful weeks remind me that the people we're helping are looking out for us too. You know who you are, sir, and we want to say thanks to YOU!!

many, many thanks!! :) 

The successes of today were not small, nor infrequent. We're feeling a bit ragged I'm sure, but not in vain. My team is amazing :).

The day didn't end at 5:00 - it was far from it! I mentioned earlier that we'd won a sales contest; it's a big deal for us, given that we're in the running for this against 8 other local offices, and we only have 1 staffing consultant right now. It's a team effort, and it's paid off! We celebrated tonight with dinner at Hofbrahaus, followed by a comedy show at Funnybone.

express cinci central (& co.) 

Whew. What a night! Yes, this is backdated; we pulled up to the house around 1am, and straight to bed it was for me; an early morning and a 4-hour drive to Cleveland awaited me on the other side. 

Happy Friday, and happy weekend to each of you out there. Enjoy!! 

xo | cmd

"A 6-Die Farkle is a Bad, Bad Day...."

It's almost Friiiiiday! 

Today was a good one. I've been buried up to my eyeballs in work for the past couple weeks, but after a refreshing break to grab dinner with Becky & Mike last night, and after the good news today that we'll be adding a new girl to our staffing team to absorb the other half of what I'm currently doing, well... it's all been a blur, but it just made today really... interesting. In a good way, I think.

I left work per the usual schedule to get Sydni; for over half the trip, I trailed a car that kept asking me the question of the ages [or at least of the past few weeks, seemingly so whenever I look up for a split second..]

i mean........ 

^ It's a valid question, and I know I'm not the only one who feels like I'm asking my own brain this and expecting some third party answer half the time. Like, I busted into Milford today with no idea what my name was after following that guy, who also probably thought I was stalking him after I snapped this picture at the red light. Meh. 

Sydni told me all about her school's Valentine's Day party as we cruised back home, until Nana called and we got to coordinating plans for the clan to come down and visit [aka help us clean the current digs once we pack it up next month and head to the new place!]

It was a short U-turn at home, where we squeezed in homework, a snack, a potty break and costume change from work to street clothes before rushing right back out the door for small group. Tonight was especially hilarious, as we took a 1-week break from our usual studies to indulge in a time of fellowship of games and snacks. I am beyond grateful for this crew, for the fellowship, and above all, for the fact that a game of Farkle has never before been so much daggone FUN! 

farkle! 

I think as I finish this week and head into next week, I'm not going to be able to unhear Jen's exclamation, "A 6-die Farkle is just a Bad, Bad Day!" How a cup, 6 die and a group of awesome people can lighten up an evening and get those happy little endorphins movin' :). 

Yeahhhhh... 

Seriously, this week's been a blur. Last week, too. Tomorrow's Friday, and I'm pretty certain it's going to be the perfect start to a weekend of fun :). We've got a celebratory work dinner planned with Chris & Deb as a reward for winning the quarterly sales contest, followed by the weekend I'll spend in Cleveland with these two [+Q&E!] - 

heading to cleveland on saturday with this lovely fam! 

Happy, happy, HAPPY almost Friday, blogbots! 

xo | cmd

Arrriba!

Gah!! Adulting is most definitely my least favorite thing this week. What I wanted to do Monday through about 3 hours ago was to crawl back into my imaginary blanket fort with a coloring book and a capri sun. MAYBE even add some One Saturday Morning to the mix, and give me a bowl of cereal while you're at it.

But noooooo.. instead, I'm doing adult things and showing up to my adult job and making adult money to pay my adult bills. Grown up life is for the birds sometimes. Haha. I'm kidding.

Kinda.

Fortunately for me, I have a small collection of friends who also do grown up things by making grown up livings from their grown up lives and who also don't avoid the real world despite the siren-esque temptations of aluminum juice pouches and Crayola. One of those friends just got back from a Habitat for Humanity trip in Trinidad & Tobago, and that meant dinner was in order to catch up on the last 17 days of her being gone.

The cards didn't work out to do dinner with Jessica last night, but at least we won't be temporarily cheated out of hangtime with two of our dearest friends. Becky's back, y'aaaaaaaallll.....

ta daaaa! 

 ^ Don't act surprised. Seventeen days isn't enough to change the fact that we're perfectly weird in each other's company.

Now if only we could get Jessica back on the calendar, and then maybe somehow get all our folks in one place at our new digs, that'd be the bees knees.

For the time being though, I, along with the rest of my pseudo-adult friends, have got to survive the rest of this week... ;).

WE CAN DO THIS.
I'll be in the kitchen getting the plastic bowl with the built-in sippy straw... ciao. 

xo | cmd 

"The Poison of Everything"

Today was a good day. To say it was "busy" is a gross understatement, but it was the good kind of busy: The kind that reminds me that the activity I push myself to accomplish daily - despite the inevitable hurdles to come with it - is an element in a bigger, beneficial picture. It's not all in vain, and it's hard now, but like any labor of love, will shine later as a finished piece built properly.

Today was a challenge. Again, a good challenge, but also the type that can so easily ignite that spark of doubt in my own abilities: patience, diligence, memory, etc. I'm doing the right things, but am I doing enough of them? Am I doing them quickly enough? Why am I not doing more??

These are questions that poison my productivity on days like today, when the schedule I've written for myself becomes so diluted with unexpected activity that there's only a few checkmarks on the whole thing at the end of the day.

The following is page 45 from Shauna Niequist's book, Savor. It's a 365-day devotional that I incorporate from time to time as I do my daily quiet time. Ironically enough, I didn't read this until after the work day had closed, but hey - isn't that just like our God - to give us the material we need at just the right time, to ensure that we will fully and wholly absorb it the way He intends?

****************************

Page 45. 

Dated February 9

The Poison of "Everything"

"What you are doing is not good... The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone."
- Exodus 18: 17-18

Everything is just a killer. Everything is the heart of the conversation for me, my drug of choice. Sure, I can host that party. Of course, I can bring that meal. Yes, I'd love to write that article. Yes, to everything.

One of my core fears is that someone would think I can't handle as much as the next person. It's fundamental to my understanding of myself for me to be the strong one, the capable one, the busy one, the one who can bail you out, not make a fuss, bring a meal, add a few more things to the list. For me, everything becomes a lifestyle. Everything is an addiction. 

Deciding what I want my life to be about isn't that hard. But deciding what I'm willing to give up for those things is like yoga for the superego, stretching and pushing and ultimately healing that nasty little person inside who exists only for what people think.

GOD IS the only one who can handle everything. Pray for a few moments, and give over to God the many things you've been carrying. 

 ****************************

So..... today is February 9th. Today was that particular collection of words that comprised exactly what I wanted but simultaneously don't want to hear. I have many character flaws, but the most prominent I'm certain, is my frequent and adamant inability at times to delegate. That word, to me, sets of an alarming illusion that I'm not doing my part. That I'm on the field but I'm not running. That I'm not pulling my weight, and that I'm forsaking whatever training and preparation I've invested into the task at hand, to be passive or lazy.

^^ Doesn't that sound delusional? Or, am I not the only one who's a control freak when it comes to the job that I'm paid to do, but sometimes feel is going to overpower me? I know I'm good at what I do, and that I'm making a difference, but days like today just make me feel like honestly, I'm not doing that thing I'm good at ... good enough.

It's a tough pill to swallow, and tastes a little like how I'd imagine a vinegar and brussel sprouts smoothie would taste, when I back down and ask for help. It's a PRIDE issue, that is ultimately a sin, being committed intentionally and defiantly by yours truly, when I refuse to accept help that is offered, for a task realistically too large for me to conquer alone.

In my defense, I've become much better at warding off the enticing charms of everything. I once was that girl who did what she could to oblige every request, and wound up on 3 different church committees, hosting a "small group" of 6 couples at her home weekly, rearranged personal errands and other time-sensitive things to assist on a project or a social gathering for someone's birthday - and volunteer immediately to bring literally anything that was needed. That was me. I wanted selfishly to feel like I was contributing, and wasn't satisfied until I'd successfully outdid... who, myself?!

Lame. But yeah, at any rate, I've made strides in that respect, and now it's time for me to recalibrate and make a concerted effort on relinquishing some of the workload. This applies for the office and home. I haven't indulged myself as much as I'd like [yet] with our church, I think for fear that I'll tumble head first like I've done before, wanting to help and contribute and volunteer and assist and cover and all those other things I did before that drained me of every last ounce of energy I had.

I needed this today. I need this tomorrow. I need this to pop up as a scheduled alert once every hour. I need to be reminded that the poison of everything is very much a reality in my world. I need to split that up in some things and only take on what I can manage.

On that note, I'll leave this here for tonight, and for anyone out there who needs to see the same thing I needed today. I hope it helps. I write these blogs for myself more than anyone else; this is an entry I'll be back to read.

Sending love, discernment and the ability to delegate.. your way, blogbots!

P.S. - Yes, today was the snowiest we've had in a while, and it was beautiful. Messy, but beautiful. Kinda like... the rest of my life. And that's just fine with me :).

 

Happy Tuesday, all of you. See you tomorrow! 

  

xo | cmd

Gray. And Dante Basco.

I'd thought about asking Rob if we could take a walk, or hike or something otherwise outdoor and adventurous after work today, but I realized somewhere around the mid afternoon that the day had changed its mind somewhere in the midst of me burying myself brain deep in the task at hand. 

So, instead of the brisk yet sunny day we had yesterday, this was the tone for the afternoon and evening:

I mean... it could've absolutely been worse, so I'll take it for what it's worth and be thankful we weren't wading around in snow this evening. :)

Instead of an urban outdoor outing, we settled for a night in, complete with a tinkering session that resulted in my broken hairdryer being reincarnated into a parts mashup to fix a heat gun. Soundtrack? Well, that one was an obvious: 

guess the movie? 

[P.S. - If you don't know that immediately, well, you're missing out!]

Time to call it a night for now.. this girl's a tired ol' thing tonight.. :) 

xo | cmd

Callie the Diamondback

Rob was still in Illinois this morning, so Sydni and I did church on our own. We started a new series this week on relationships, and as Pastor Jeff's messages usually are, I'm pretty sure the rest of the series will be excellent.

The Panama meeting was after church, although it wasn't much of a meeting. Chris, Tana, Beth and I gathered after the service, but we're hoping the next time we get together will have a better turnout. There were several other meetings happening at the same time, which detracted some from our informational meeting. I'll have the opportunity to go with Chris and Betsy next weekend to Cleveland, to see Talsy and David while they're here visiting; hopefully then we'l be able to determine exactly what our trip will look like.

Rob surprised us by showing up several hours earlier than expected, with his newly-tuned truck and a bed full of auction stuff.

He'd purchased this a couple weeks ago without my knowing [at a price tag far less than MSRP, wooo!], and picked it up at the auction warehouse on his way out to Illinois last week.

I shared this little gem on Facebook, and in no time realized that I'll have to tote her to Arizona sometime this summer, whenever we visit Jesse & Liz; it turns out she just got a new Diamondback too! I'm ready, Summer... the trails are calling... 

OH, and it's Superbowl Sunday, a minor detail for me. Sorry, not sorry, but if I'm being honest with myself and the rest of the world, the truth is that I had absolutely no interest in watching the game, but the invite to spend the evening with the Costanzas far outweighed my indifference for the game itself. We are truly fortunate to be able to get to know this family more and more, and tonight was the perfect way to relax and somehow still enjoy the game. 

Congrats though, to the Broncos! I know my parents and just about everyone else I know seemed to have their fingers crossed that Peyton Manning & Co. would come out on top, and they weren't disappointed. 

Tomorrow's a new week, but with plenty in store! Becky's back from Trinidad & Tobago, so we'll see her, I think there's a dinner with Jess in that mix somewhere, small group and then I'm off to Cleveland with the Costanzas this weekend. 

I'm pretty pumped, but yeah, I agree... let's get through Monday, first ;) 

xo | cmd