Fab 5 Thursday?

Hey peeps! It's Thursday and another week is coming to a close! School break starts tomorrow at 3 pm so I'm going to crank out a Fab 5 today (if this publishing a day early crap continues I'll have to rename this - Fab 5 Thursday just doesn't do it for me) and then I need to get packing!

Here we go!

1. The Walking Dead. Yes, one of my favorite shows has returned. But, I want to give a mention of the cool display that was over at Publika to draw attention to my favorite show. It was a really cool container that had holographic walkers - both inside and outside the container! It was super cool!

2. Date Night/Olive Oil Tasting. Saturday night Blaine and I went out without the kiddos! Woot! Woot! We started the evening with an olive oil tasting at For Goodness Cakes. Such a great night! We sampled many olive oils and had some very delicious food. It was informative and tasty! A big thank you to Sheila for arranging this experience. Then, Blaine and I headed over to Publika to meet up with our friend, Hub, and have a few adult beverages. Always a fun night when Blaine and Hub are together. I feel like these two are cut from the same cloth! It was a great Saturday evening out.

3. Cross Country. Saturday morning started with a cross country meet for Grayson. We're still amazed that this child did cross country as he is not a runner, but he did a really great job on Saturday. But, my real proud mommy moment came when he went and helped a fellow teammate. His friend, Daniel, experienced a terrible side stitch during his race and stopped running early on - and was very visibly upset. (Think big, huge sobs!) Anyways, Grayson went and got him, held his hand, told him it was going to be alright and brought Daniel over to the nurse. It was one of those moments where you know you are doing something right with your children. I know my friends who are parents know what those moments look like...and they make up for all of the times when your child is driving you absolutely crazy!

4. Chex Mix. Okay...all you people who think pumpkin is the only fall food, well, you can keep it. For me, fall is the time of homemade Chex Mix. Yeah, I don't know why. I think it's because my mom always made Chex Mix in the fall - even though it's good all year round - and it's just stuck with me. So, Sunday I decided I was going to make Chex Mix. Yes, this did prove to be interesting as I could not find all of the things I like to put in my mix (Bugles for one! And those little pumpernickel garlic round things! You know what I'm talking about!) But, we did manage to throw a batch together! And everyone was happy to have a little taste of fall!

Yeah, don't ask me what those things in the green bag are! They were quite tasty, though!

5. Vacation. Fall break starts tomorrow! So we're off to Hong Kong and Ho Chi Mihn. Wahoo! I'm excited! Never been to either place and it should prove to be lots of fun! Hong Kong Disney and a tour while we're there. Then off to Vietnam for a day trip on the Mekong Delta, a show one night and catching up with some friends. And the weather forecast doesn't look too bad!

All right! No blogging next week as we will be traveling. Then, I start teaching - so posts may become sporadic! But, I hope to get you caught up on our travel adventures, at the very least, when we return! 

Fab 5 Friday...A Day Early...

It's that time of the week again...Fab 5 Friday time! I'm bringing it to you on a Thursday as things are going to be changing around the Blackburn house...and you'll see why when you read today's blog!

1. Club Med. Club Med gets a huge shoutout for our long weekend away last week. It was a nice weekend with our kids and with neighborhood friends. Hanging by the pool, reading, going to the spa, kids doing the kids club thing...just relaxing.

2. Hong Kong Guide. So...it all worked out. I found a guide for Hong Kong and she sounds ideal - mother of two who just seemed to get it when I said my boys were not into mounds and mounds of historical info...just give us the basics and keep us rolling along. I'll let you know how she works out!

3. Betty's Midwest Cafe. I had my first trip to Betty's Midwest Cafe this week when I had lunch with a friend on Tuesday. And yes, it is a little taste of the Midwest set right down here in KL. The owners once lived in Des Moines and the menu included corn dogs, meatloaf, pulled pork, juicy Lucy's, pork chops, and macaroni and cheese. And, as always, lunch convo was great .I always feel like I'm on the same wavelength with this friend...kids at similar ages, from the Midwest, husbands not working in oil and gas...it just seems to click.

4. Perseverance. This goes to Caleb this week. He had to do a presentation on a current event, and, as always, we told him to pick something that interests him. He chose Derek Jeter's retirement - apropos for my sports loving child. But, as he sat down to work on the project with guidance from his parents...we could see the frustration. He wasn't sure where to go with it and we didn't have a lot of info on the project - so we were leading him where we thought he should take it. Finally, we just let it drop for the night. All of us were grouchy and tears were starting to well up in his eyes. He went to school the next day and listened to a few presentations and came back with a clear idea of what he wanted to do and the direction he wanted to take it. With little help from us, he put together a pretty good current event presentation...putting aside the negative feelings from the start of the project and coming out happy at the end.

5. Teaching. Yes, here's the big news. I've accepted a long-term sub position for a maternity leave. So, for the next 8 weeks I'll be back in the land of the working, back teaching kiddos, back in the classroom. I'm anxious and excited all at the same time. It will be challenging, yet, fun. And, in the end, it will probably help me decide if I truly want to go back to teaching or if that's something that will remain a part of my past, Either way, for the next 8 weeks I will be putting my heart and soul back into the classroom!

So there you have it. I may take a break from blogging for the next 8 weeks depending on the work load at school...or at the very least, it may be a bit more sporadic. Enjoy the upcoming weekend!

Procrastinating...

I actually wrote the post below about two weeks ago, but I see that I never published it. Seeing as I'm currently sitting in the exact same spot, doing the exact same thing...I think I'll hit publish today.

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I’m procrastinating.

I’m not a procrastinator by nature. I’m a list maker who takes great pleasure in crossing things off. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to get to the end of a day, look at the list in my notebook (yeah, so old school) and see that everything is finished.

 

But, once every few years this task comes upon me and I dread it. It gets written in the notebook. It needs to be done. It’s part of the process. And I love what comes out of it. But, I despise this task. I even try to get my husband to do it for me.

What is it you ask? What could be so bad?

It’s writing my resume.

I know people who have had jobs they love for 10, 15, 20, 30 years. I am not that person. I have had jobs I love. In fact, I have had many. But the longevity of these jobs has been relatively short.  Four to five years at the very longest. More often than not, I have wanted to stay. It just wasn’t possible.

And no, I haven’t been fired from any of my positions. The companies haven’t folded and declared bankruptcy. There was no big blowout with a co-worker who stole my idea and submitted it as his own and I quit to prove a point.

You see, I’m a “trailing spouse.”  My husband has a great job that has offered him many career opportunities in the past 13 years, and, in order to help him move up the corporate ladder, I have followed him, “trailed” behind him, as we’ve moved. (Please keep in mind, I didn’t come up with the term “trailing spouse.” I really don’t like it. But, I live with it.)

It started in the States. We moved from the New York to Wisconsin to Iowa. Our most recent move has brought us to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It is here, in a café,  that I am putting off the inevitable task of reworking my resume.

Many people have asked if I’m resentful.  Don’t you feel like you’re making all the sacrifices and he’s getting all the rewards? Don’t you just wish you could stay put? Continue with the job you had?

I can now say, “No.” Each move we’ve made has allowed me to re-invent myself. Each move has made me better. Each move has improved my skill set. Each move has benefitted me – maybe more than him.

I started my career as a teacher. I pictured myself teaching in a school until my retirement kicked in and I had taught the children, maybe even the grandchildren, of my first students. That was not to be.

I cried when I quit my job to follow my husband the first time. Huge sobs. At the time, my father essentially told me, “Suck it up, buttercup. He makes good change and you need to support him.” Okay, that’s not an exact quote, but you get the gist.

So we moved and I needed to establish my identity. I was not a teacher anymore. Who was I? What was I going to do?

I decided my health would be my focus. I needed to lose 150 pounds. This would be my job. And I accomplished it. It wasn’t easy. Probably the hardest and most frustrating job I’ve ever had. But, I did it.

Once this goal was reached, I knew I was ready to find a “real” job. I sat down and completely overhauled my resume. (I would rather have been at the dentist having a root canal.) Should I return to teaching? It didn’t feel like the time. Maybe I could use my personal transformation to springboard into something new. This led to a career as a leader for one of those well-known weight-loss companies. A very fulfilling career helping others achieve their goals.

And then we moved again. This time I was excited. No tears. The last move had brought such an amazing physical and emotional change in me, surely this next move could do the same.

And it did.

I once again put the focus back on myself. Certifications and self-education was my focus. I became a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer. Once again it was time for my least favorite task - dusting off the ‘ol resume.

My resume served me well. I found a career at a locally owned gym that allowed me to put my skills to work. It even allowed me the chance for advancement as I became the fitness programs manager for this club. I loved it. I loved the people. I loved the job. I loved everything.

And you can guess what happened next. We moved – to Malaysia.

I have spent a year here already - focusing on me. I don’t have a work Visa - so my work options are limited. But, for the past year, I’ve been writing. Purely for pleasure - for my friends and family. For a magazine that liked something I sent their way and asked me to contribute more. And I now think it’s time to see, once again, what’s out there career-wise. It’s time for my least favorite task – rebuilding the resume.

I know I shouldn’t dread it so much. My resume has brought me so many good things. I look at it and see the timeline of my marriage. It’s a reminder of the amazing people I’ve met and the wonderful places we lived.

I will focus on that today as I once again jam the thumb drive in my laptop and work quickly to make my curriculum vitae as relevant as possible to what I want to do. What will come next? Where will my resume lead me? Who knows? But, based on past experiences, I know my resume won’t let me down. It just needs a little TLC to guide me in the right direction.

And some TLC it will get – right after another cup of coffee.

Fab 5 Friday...

Ah, so happy that Friday has arrived...so, so happy. 

I think it is safe to say that we are all ecstatic that Blaine is home. While the kids were S-U-P-E-R good last week and I do mean SUPER good, we were definitely ready for a little break from one another. It's been fantastic to have some adult conversation again and the boys are glad to have daddy hugs in the evening.

It's once again a long weekend here in Malaysia - Yahoo! And, we're out of here! So, I will publish this and go finish up my packing!

Here it is, folks! Fab 5 Friday:

1. Dates with my boys. Last week while Blaine was away brought a couple of nice "dates" with my boys. Friday night had the three of us hitting Morganfield's for dinner together - which was fun and funny. Saturday had Grayson and I grabbing a quick date at Red Mango before he went to a birthday party. The littlest dude just cracks me up. Saturday night had Caleb and I having dinner together while Grayson was still at a birthday party. And, I just love sitting and talking to Caleb sometimes - he can be such a little man.

2. Presents. Upon Blaine's return we were showered with gifts from home! Nothing like a few prezzies to make up for 10 days away...Lululemon, Pandora, new Nano 4.0's, and some golf clothes for me! Woohoo! The kids also received some fab gifts and we are stocked up with Halloween candy for all of the Duta Tropika trick-or-treaters!

3. Mad About Coco. Monday night we took the kids to Mad About Coco to celebrate Blaine's return and their awesome behavior while he was away. Just a few yummy little treats!

4. Travel Plans. I spent the week trying to get things straightened out for Hong Kong and Vietnam. Vietnam was easy...booked my tour and a show to see while we are there. Hoping we'll catch up with Nate and that Nhi will be back from the States, too. Hong Kong has not been as easy. The 4 top tour guides I wanted to take us on a one day tour are all booked. Wah! And, I know we can go do the bus and stuff, but I really didn't want to have to think...I just wanted to follow someone around who has lived in Hong Kong for an extended period of time and see some of the lesser known areas of the city - plus, I was hoping for a little more of a foodie perspective. Anyways, I have an email into one last guide and we'll see if he can accommodate us. If not, my name is Robin and I'll be your tour guide in Hong Kong!

5. Club Med Cherating. As I said, it's a long weekend and we are outta here! Club Med Cherating here we come! Heading to Kuantan with some friends for an easy-peasy weekend. Our boys are excited that their friends are coming and to hit the kids club and I'm happy to hit the pool, read my book and enjoy a few cocktails.

Okay...that's all there is. I'm going to go finish packing and then we're springing the kids from school at 11:45 a.m. and heading to Club Med. I see a pool and an adult beverage in my future! Enjoy the weekend, peeps!

Need To Get This Off My Chest...

Yes, I have something to say...I've been holding it in for weeks and I just need to say it:

I hate pumpkin.

Phew. I feel better already. It's out there...out in the open. My friends back in the States are going pumpkin crazy...pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin...

 

I can say that I am pretty happy here in Malaysia where once September hits we are not bombarded with pumpkin craziness. My morning coffee continues on...same as always. I don't feel the need to bake pumpkin bread or head to the grocery store to stock up on pumpkin pie filling.

There are other things I miss about fall...cider donuts, cool air, American football...but pumpkin? Nope. That you can keep my friends. Please feel free to eat and drink my share!

Fab 5 Friday...

It's Friday! Woohoo! Hope you've had a good week! And, hopefully, you're here for Fab 5 Friday. I do not want to disappoint - so here it is!

1. Keeping My Mommy Cool. Yup, I have not lost my shit once this week. I came really close on Wednesday evening when Grayson, once again, lost another bag of clothes at school. But, in a calm voice I stated what the consequences would be and that he had until Friday after school to find the bag. And then proceeded to pour a large vodka and lemonade and meet Shannon at the pool so I could converse with an actual adult. Only a couple more days until Blaine comes home and I'm really hoping I can keep it together.

2. Caleb and Basketball. As I told you earlier, Caleb made the grades 4-5 basketball team.  He was ecstatic as many of his buddies are on the team and he just loves playing sports - all sports. They've had two games so far - a heartbreaking loss against GIS (after they led most of the game) and an awesome win against ISKL. He scored in both games and he told me that the team is going to get revenge on GIS when they come play at MKIS. Gotta love his spirit.

3. White Shadow and Turbo. We seem to have two snails hanging out by our plants that the kids have nicknamed White Shadow (the extremely large one) and Turbo. They've been checking on them everyday and I think they have realized that these two snails are the closest things we'll ever have to pets.

White Shadow

4. Book Clubs. In the past two weeks I've been to two different book clubs. I figured since I love to read I'd give the book club thing a shot. It's definitely been exposing me to some different books than would make my usual reading list - so that's been good. But, I'm not sure I can keep up with both of them...so I need to figure out which one is going to get my full attention.

5. Deadlift 5RM PR. Yes, this makes the list this week. I had a 5 rep max deadlift personal record this week. For a while, I was pulling from plates as my back was just not cooperating with deadlifts...at all. The past three times we've done deadlifts I've been pulling from the floor and my back has been good and not flexing and I'm happy. I probably could've tried again with an additional 5-10 pounds on Wednesday, but I didn't want to be greedy. I'm extremely thankful for coaches and friends who keep a special eye on me during this movement to make sure my back is extended and doing what it should be doing.  This was capped off Wednesday evening by catching my boys in the act of doing their own CF WODs in the home gym - complete with music blasting and shirts off! (I blame Jay for the shirts off!)

All right...please send me some good vibes to make it through the weekend sans Blaine. No meltdowns, no meltdowns, no meltdowns...for me or the kids!

Busy...

Can I just say, I am beginning to hate the word "busy." Today I saw this quote:

Someone asks you, "How are you?" And the response you most often receive is, "Busy. So busy."

I'm going to tell you that I am not busy. How's that for a straight-up honest answer? I know I've said that I am, but I'm not. I am NOT busy. I have time each day to workout, drink coffee, write, read, have lunch with friends, cook, go to book club, take golf lessons, help my kids with homework, watch television and who knows what else. But, I am not busy. I am fulfilled. I am happy, but I'm not busy.

Often, I think  the word  "busy" has just become an excuse. Oh, you don't want to do/participate/help with something?! Just say you're busy. (I've done it! Guilty as charged with that one! Repeat offender! Lock me away!)

And then again, everyone's definition of busy is relative. What is busy for one person is not busy to another.

But here's the thing...it all boils down to this:

So think about your priorities. Do what makes you happy. Make your life fulfilling, not busy.