God's timing

One week ago it was moving day. I drove down the dirt road to what was soon to be my previous residence. I drove into the driveway, attempted a turn to reverse my car so I could load it easily. No sooner did I do this when my front wheels decided to become stuck in the mud. After several attempts and a board under one of the tires my car was pulled out of the mud. I next walked into my room with a dysfunctional window dripping water onto the carpet and saturating the area under my headboard of my bed. My landlord then proceeded to inform me the electrical panel out in the pasture had caught on fire the previous night and there was not going to be power until a new electrical panel could be assembled. I then looked around and realized I had so much to be thankful for. So thankful that God's timing made it so that I needed to move into my new residence before the beginning of the year in order to secure myself the room in the home I was moving into.

My dear friend Emily who has incredible strength helped me load my car. She was insistent that we only make one trip and that all my belongings would fit in my car. She helped me shove my queen mattress in the car good thing that mattress is soft and flexible and might I add forgiving. Emily also helped me load my computer hutch into my car and put it on top of the mattress. When all was said and done there were very few vacant square inches in my car. She did this all in the rain.

I think Emily and I really like the rain. We ran in it for nearly 3 hours the previous Saturday and had such a great time. That's twice now I've had Emily run in the rain and mud with me. She was a trooper at the mud run. She made going up the cargo net and down the rope look like a walk in the park.

My new place is so peaceful and so nice and might I add warm. I was very cold many a night at my old place there wasn't heat in my room but it was a sacrifice I had to make there was a lesson in it for me.

Too bad I didn't take any photos of my adventurous move. My car tires stuck would have made a great photo and the mud splatters inside my car would make a great picture too. I think the mud has since dried there as a reminder of my journey. I think the stuffed interior of my vehicle would have made a great postcard. Well I've since charged my camera battery so I can take many a picture of my upcoming adventures in 2011.

Time for good decisions

October 30th I got off work at noon and headed on over to Laguna Lake to volunteer with set up and registration for the first annual Halloween mud mash. I arrived on location and got to help Yishai and his crew of 2 assemble the steps and ropes to the 12 foot solid wall. The guys were happy to have my help and they made it alot of fun for me.

Halloween morning I arrived to help with registration. At 9:00 am the race started. The course took us through the lake, a swamp, on over-unders, and on to the cargo net. I was standing in line at the cargo net and got a little teary eyed watching a father coach his son over the net. At the top of the cargo net I got nervous and I heard a familiar voice say come on Joanie. It was my friend Jason who I was in EMT academy with and I had always looked up to him. It was just the calming shove I needed right then. I came down the cargo net and approached the 12 foot wall. I chose the left side of the wall as the day prior I had tried the right. I struggled and struggled but was determined to get over the wall because I knew I could. I had nothing to prove to anyone except myself. I conquered that wall and looked back and thought wow it took four sets of hands to build that wall and it created mounds of fun for numerous hands. The course continued with a challenging run up and over a mountain with a finale mud pit finish at the end which I so gracefully tackled face first.

This was by far the most enjoyable run I have done to date and it benefitted special olympics so it meant alot to me with my younger brother being born with down's syndrome.

I'm still running and times it gets tough I think back to something my Dear friend Chris once wrote. Never let anyone tell you you're not good enough! I also think of Chris doing his daily walk trekking across America averaging 30 miles daily pulling his wagon traveling with his dog and I say if Chris can keep walking I can certainly keep running I don't even have a load to pull.

We all have various motivating factors in life that lead us to be engaged in making a decision. I once had to attend a monthly meeting where I was forced to stare at a banner that simply stated "it all starts with a decision."

I simply decided 2 years ago I would start running. Turns out that has been the most positive influential decision I've made.

Time to find new focus

So here it is 4:00 am. I'm at work in a hospital wing sitting in a hospital chair. My client was hospitalized Saturday so I'm doing a few shifts here. This is my third night of this my eyes are heavy and the chair is uncomfortable and my client is sound asleep. The good news is I am supposed to do this again on Thursday, but I asked for the day off to go spend some quality time in Santa Barbara with family. I was asked to be back on Friday and go back to my regular 48 hour shifts after my client returns to her residence. I suppose I should be thankful that my small sacrifice is rewarded with a blessing in disguise.

I began Marathon training last week and I'm going to complete a marathon in February. I have a 4 mile run scheduled later today and all I can focus on is the fact that my body needs some rest in order to train and recover adequately. I planned on reading and journalling in my marathon training book but I've been reading a fiction novel instead.

I'm really enjoying running with a new focus again and having a great time running with new and old friends.

Time to give

I had an amazing day today. It began by returning to yesterday's running route to collect the empty drink containers. I ran into a couple when I did my beach route that had seen me at a previous stop I had made and they made the comment I was a really fast runner. Of course I chuckled a little and told them I drove, but would continue to work on the fast runner part. Today's trip was almost just as fun as the run last night.

I then traveled to pick up my friend's puppy that is a lab/border collie mix. The pup and I traveled to the beach and had a great time. He needs a lot more attention and some work on listening, but we had a great time chasing the rope ball in the surf. I followed that up with a little trip to Shine Cafe to pick up veggie spring rolls. I seriously think that cafe makes the best vegetarian food I have ever tasted and I'm not even a vegetarian. It always seems so healthy and so full of flavor.

Its the first Friday so it was another Art After Dark opportunity. I looked on the event schedule and saw that one of the pottery studios was doing the empty bowls benefit. The food bank donated clay and materials to the pottery studio and customers were allowed to come in and donate $5.00 and paint or throw a bowl that will later be sold for $20.00 at a luncheon being held for the food bank. The $20.00 gets the bowl and the lunch. The money raised at the event will translate into nearly $200.00  in food for each bowl sold. I thoroughly enjoyed glazing the bowl I chose knowing that it is going to benefit many others long down the road.

Time spent with a positive influence

My time has been well spent this month.

I enjoyed art after dark in SLO with a group of friends. My friend Em and I got our eyes dramatized and brows waxed compliments of savvi salon. I learned to play a congo drum. I ate sushi and I drove a new friend home.

I went to Santa Barbara and spent time with the running group there. I got to see JT and Chan and make them popcorn and eat pbnj sandwiches. It's the little things that easily please me.

My 33rd birthday came and went. I worked on my birthday and received many well wishes. My mom sent me a really personal card that took time and thought it was much appreciated. My best part was the text message I received from Chan wishing me happy birthday. He knows just how to melt my heart. I love that kid.

I was privileged to meet a really incredible person just one week ago. Shortly after meeting the words of a song by Cary Judd kept repeating in my mind. "Did I cause a difference or was the difference in me?" How many times do we go throughout our day not giving time to pause and reflect or even appreciate moments like these? I feel things are given to us for a reason. Timing is everything. Both the good and bad timing. How many times have you heard that was really poor timing? How many times have you heard that timing was impeccable?

I turned in my application to SLO Ambulance on Friday. The newspaper article I read last November about 7 kids going to the hospital via ambulance was what prompted me to pursue my emt certification. I'm now elligible to do ride alongs and have my first one scheduled in just more than a week. I'm looking forward to brushing up and getting some much needed practice. It's surprising how quickly the material becomes lost when it isn't utilized each week.

Today was wonderful I took time to enjoy the unusually warm day and just enjoy the abundant opportunities in the area I live. I went to sunshine health foods for lunch and discovered a new delicious snack. Tamari pumpkin seeds. I then went hiking and did uphill sand drills as well as some free climbing. I met Em for a run at Morro Bay rock and that was more time well spent. Em is such a beautiful person both inside and out. I finished my day in a great quiet country area with a perfect friend and his dog.

Life will give you both expected and unexpected opportunities the key is taking the time to enjoy each one and expect the best and go for it.

Time to catch up

A small amount of time has passed since I've posted to my blog. I guess that's indicative of how focused and busy I've been.

Here's an update.  I passed my NREMT exam and got my county registration. I am officially a certified EMT.

I finished my EMT internship program over the course of the summer. It was a good experience never to be repeated.

I began half marathon training again only to be derailed by my ever hectic work schedule.  My half marathon training has been replaced with 5k mud run training to do a run on halloween.

I started running with a group on Thursday evenings. I have never had so much fun running. The photographer took some pretty great pictures. I posted the one pic he took. I look so focused and the scenery was incredible.

Today I did a run on my favorite trail.  On the way back to my car I received a text message from my Godson's mom asking if I could go pick up their friend's son from urgent care at the lake an hour from my house. Of course I said I'll be there asap.  All my EMT instincts kicked in and I started sprinting back to my car. I later got a message saying all was well and their friend's son would be staying at the lake. One can only imagine my relief.

In only a matter of days I have my written exam for my ambulance license from the dmv. This seems like such a hard long process, but I am choosing to stay focused on my goals.  I was reading a book not too long ago and came across a sentence. "don't give up your identity and your goals for the sake of love". For some reason the timing of reading that book and that statement seemed all too perfect and helped me get back to where I want my focus to be.

Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.

As I patiently give the process time all will work out the way it needs to.

STRENGTHEN AND BE STRENGTHENED ONE DAY AT A TIME

Today I started my morning doing my internship hours in the hospital Emergency Room.  My heart nearly fell seeing one mother's anguish and her husband's strength keeping himself humble and tear free while consolling his wife and then seeing their young baby's strength really gave me an amazing perspective.

I had an amazing ER Tech to shadow. She showed me areas of the ER I hadn't seen before as well as showed me how to make sure the areas were properly supplied with necessary items.  Some of the tasks were indeed tedious, but at the end of my 8 hour rotation I didn't want to go home.  For me its not so much the job that defines me but the job helps me define my greater purpose.

I was leaving and a patient was being brought in by helicopter.  If I didn't have my national registry EMT exam scheduled I would have loved to see the operations of how to care for someone that is transported to the facility in that manner.  This timing couldn't have been any better it made me look forward to my helicopter internship time. I can't wait to schedule my day to ride along with CALSTAR and see the daily operations of the helicopter and its crew.

I took my exam which is a timed 150 question exam and I was blessed to only be required to take 60 of the questions.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that the news I receive is glowing.  I have to wait to receive the results.

When someone says you have great potential say "Thank You" and believe them that was my strengthening lesson today!

In time you will do it

Today is the day where I affirmed my little red sticker that I kept stuck to my emt textbook all quarter long.

Months ago I donated blood and they gave me a little red sticker that said I did it. Those were the three words I wanted to be able to say when I obtained my certificate of completion for the EMT academy.

Today I did it. That certificate is still nice and flat and has only been viewed once for errors and now it is tucked away while I look forward to the next step.  That next step is a written state exam that is only a few weeks away and I have some more studying to complete, but Im very much looking forward to the upcoming months.

I came home and went for a run.  I started academy excited to think that we would be doing a lot more running I think in 16 weeks that the academy as a whole entity may have logged an entire mile of running. We did do a pushup or nearly 200 one day, but I was expecting a much more physically demanding class.  What this academy lacked in physical demand it made up for in emotional and intellectual demand.

This is not something I thought I would ever do, but it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life as I found hidden strength even as I was sitting in my room yesterday evening reflecting as the tears of mixed emotion fell. Tears of knowing all the people that were so supportive along the way, tears of knowing it was over, tears of fear of facing that next challenge, but mostly just tears that I had overcome one more obstacle.

And the lesson I learned in all of this is in time it can all be done.

I have my BSI is my Scene Safe

I started the EMS academy back in February and 2 weeks ago I got to participate in what was probably my most enjoyable day of class aside from the day I got to run and do situps and pushups and pullups.

Our class was invited to participate in a mass-casualty incident at the airport in order to assist emergency personnel in being more prepared should a real incident occur.

I was chosen to get a black triage tag which means I was a dead victim.  This was a lot of fun and at the end of class when I took a picture of my arm it actually looked very realistic. I could almost convince people I was in some sort of accident and my arm was bloody and covered in dirt and gravel.

My clothes were a mess I think I have yet to wash the white shirt I was wearing which conveniently said on it,"I eat mud for breakfast." I looked like I dined with pigs for breakfast.

I am thoroughly enjoying my EMS academy and in a short two weeks when all goes as I intend for it to I will be blessed to attend graduation from the academy and then move on to my summer internship and health class.

a little dirt

Of all the runs I have participated in which isn't too many I am certain I liked this one the best.


I got up Saturday morning at 6:00 am to drive to Orange County a 3 hour drive from where I was and I participated in the Eco Mud Run 5k. It was a 5k course with mud pits and wooden saw horse hurdles.  My knees got a little scraped my time could have been a little faster but I really had a great time.


I drove back to Santa Barbara after the run to celebrate the birthday of my strongest example and supporter in life Patty. I got to enjoy the evening picking up my 12 year old Godson from the bowling alley and then stayed up til 2 am with some 15 year olds to make sure they had a great evening. I have no idea how I even stayed awake for 20 hours.

I even got up the next morning and took my Godson's dog for a run as if I didn't run enough in the mud run.  The motivation to run that I thought was lost from last year's half marathon now has a new drive and appreciation.

opportunities to be in the right place at the right time

I had one of the most patience trying weekends at work I have faced in my one plus year of working in the Elderly care field. However it also taught me something about myself.  It taught me that I have to look at things differently than I currently was.

I got off work at 11:30 am today. I drove to my office and parked my car and took the keys out of the ignition and placed them on the center console of the vehicle and stepped out of my car and pressed the lock button. Yep really bad habit that I am going to break starting today. I don't remember this ever happening to me, but phew triple A to the rescue and off I was to my other errands. My most important errand was a bank deposit so I could secure my spot for the upcoming mud run this weekend.

I then went and got some fabric and learned how to sew burp cloths for my dear friend who is expecting her second son very shortly.  I made some king size pillow cases as well. It was less expensive to buy material and make my own than it was to try and find the color pillow case I was looking for.

I then drove over to Jamba Juice where I saw a car with its hood open and they needed a jump start.  I always keep my jumper cables in the car funny thing is I loaned them to someone and completely forgot to have them returned to me. So this young man and his significant other were stranded in the parking lot needed a jump start.  The young man found a set of cables and I was able to help him get his vehicle jump started.  I was just doing the right thing and trying to be in the right place at the right time.  This young man was so polite he handed me his cd he made and it was a great compilation of Christian rock music.

I then came home and signed up for Eco Mud Run Tour being held in Orange County this Saturday.  I had to gauge where I am in my running capabilities so I decided to just put the shoes on and run.  I have to say I haven't done a distance or endurance run, but twice since I completed a half marathon in November last year. I was pleased with my performance.

My day ended with an alanon meeting.  A friend suggested this to me last week and I decided it wouldn't hurt to see what it was about.  I can honestly say what I heard in that meeting was exactly what I needed to hear and I was thankful for one more opportunity to be in the right place at the right time today.

I had only been out of the alanon meeting for 5 minutes and I received a text message on my iphone (yes its connected to my hand almost surgically) from someone I least expected to hear from asking if I could be their sober driver for the night.  I was happy to do it and I got to learn some new things about the towns around me as well as a really neat new place to run as well as the trail to the grove of butterfly trees.

Today was just a really nice day I found serenity in my surrounding and peace in being where I wanted and needed to be.

Spring time to garden

Today with a day off and not feeling so good and certainly not feeling like jeopardizing my lungs with a run, I decided to do a little planting in the garden box and barrell.

A trip to the recycling center to clear all the cans and bottles from the deck area and off to the little hardware store I went.

Four little packets of seed and a little soil starter and I was well prepared.

I came home and cleared all the little grass and weeds that the lovely rain brought and the barrels were ready for planting.

In the barrell went some seeds for some yummy cherry tomatoes and some seeds for some sweet red peppers seeing as how my body doesn't enjoy the green peppers and maybe some little chive seeds and even a little aragula just for color and filler.

In the long box went aragula and onions mmmm can't wait for that first summer salad with a baked potato with chives and some barbeque chicken with lemon from the tree.

The only thing missing is a rosemary bush so I can use the rosemary limbs to bbq skewer the chicken.

The most rewarding thing about gardening is it is so therapeutic and rewarding and it shows a little hard work and dirt under the nails will pay off.

Intense amount of time

Academy day one objective: Don't let them see you sweat and don't make them question who you are!!!

Day one of EMT academy was supposed to be like any other day with one exception my optimism had to overrule my pessimism.

Now the last time I was addressed as Miss Andersen it was in a correctional setting usually by co-workers, supervisors or inmates often if not always wanting something. Today was no different each time I was addressed as Miss Andersen it was to get my attention and to ask for something or to advise me of an unwanted behavior the instructor had viewed me participating in.  Okay thank you now that the entire class is aware of my last name I will do my best not to get on a first name basis.  The day started out with formation and uniform inspection. My only thought was oh please oh please do not let the tac officer comment on my hair that is willfully disregarding any attempt I made to keep it in a ponytail and off my collar.  Phew so my boots needed polished my shirt needed tucked in better and I had a thread that needed attention. I nearly felt violated when the tac officer pointed at the thread on my zipper.  Awww the best part was the pushups and the markings on my hands that nearly drew blood from doing so many on the black top covered with gravel.  I thought for certain I failed the professionalism and conduct part of the day, but somehow managed to earn 195 out of 200.  I did get a card pulled on my first day but so did my squad leader who is also female so I couldn't feel too terrible.

I participated in the various patient assessment stations and am wondering how in the world I will remember each step and its order of progression, but I'm certain with a lot of repetition it will come slowly but surely.

The next fun part is getting signed off on the 50 vital sign checks I have to have completed in one month. That means finding 50 individuals in 5 different types of settings to let me take their pulse, blood pressure, and respiration.  I think I know just the day to do it.  Super Bowl Sunday is just a few days away that ought to get some blood pressures elevated.

A lot of time and effort

This past week I learned a lesson in the power of patience, perseverance, time management and a lot of faith.

I created this blog with the theme of there is enough time.  I often hear people say," I didn't have time."  "There isn't enough time."  "There wasn't enough time."  "I'm never on time."

The real fact of the matter is there is enough time. I've even often found myself saying,"I just don't have the time." This is usually my response to not being able to go running as much as I'd like because I'm forced to choose to work as much as I do. This last week I taught myself a serious lesson in time management.

I decided to pursue trying to obtain my certification as an EMT (emergency medical technician).  This started with submitting an application to the local college where I wanted to receive the training.  The next step was submitting an application for financial aid.  This is where the good news started rolling in.  I was so lucky to work for a non-profit organization in 2007 where well I might as well have made no profit.  My tax filing was so meager I was able to qualify for a fee waiver for admission along with qualifying for some type of grant. 

Registration came and when it was finally my day and time to register I happened to be 24th on the waiting list for the classes. These classes included the pre-academy 3 night class and the 16 week academy class. The cpr 8 hour class I was only 5th on the waiting list.

Now came the sweat, tears, 800 miles on my car, stress and a headache. Last Tuesday night the trek began. I've been in Santa Barbara the last 3 weeks working for my previous employer of 7 years ago as a nanny.  This is the part where I catch myself saying,"my how time flies." They were 2 and 0 when I first started taking care of them 12 years ago.  So first I had to assure the boys had a responsible adult looking after them and seeing they got their studies done while I went and tried to pursue my future studies.  I arrived to the first pre-academy class 15 minutes late only to have the professor come outside the classroom to talk to me and tell me he had already called roll and the waiting list.  There I was between a rock and a hard place.  I didn't want to have to wait until next semester to try to get in again so I was determined not to accept the answer of just not enough room in the class.  I then asked the teacher if I could return the following night to see if anyone had become uniterested after learning what the program consisted of on the first night. The teacher's response was if you show up tomorrow and there is a seat I will allow you to be added to the roster. I walked away with a glimmer of hope and a lot of faith knowing full well I was going to have to trust my own mantra I've repeated many times which is things don't always work out the way we want them to, but they always turn out the way they need to and I would trust that if it was meant to be it would just work out.

Wednesday evening comes and I again arrange for the boys to be watched by a responsible adult.  I travel the hour and 15 minutes north to try to once again get into the class. The class was 10 minutes from starting and the professor pulls me into his office and informs me he has never in all his years of teaching allowed a student to be added to the roster on the second night of class and he feels inclined to make an exception for me.  We then enter the class room and there is just one empty seat.  As I listened to the lecture Wednesday nigh I had a great feeling that this really was meant to be.  At the end of class the professor informs me I have a questionairre to answer, an autobiography to write, two chapters to study, two exams to take on the chapters, a 20 page policy and procedure manual to read and a test to take on it with no score less than 100% being accepted and a vocab quiz to study for that would be given in Friday night's class. This was all to be completed after I submitted a document to admissions and he was able to enter me into the computer the following day which was Thursday. 

Thursday morning I take both boys to school and put the oh so lovely smelling wet dog in my car and make the drive back to the school in a rain storm with mudslides on the freeway to submit the paperwork to admissions that the professor had signed.  At this time I am informed I have missed the deadline and the professor should have been made aware of this.  I am told I will need to speak to the director of admissions and I wait two hours to speak to her while she is in a meeting.  I speak to the director of admissions and she informs me she will be speaking to my professor.  A couple hours later I receive an email from my professor stating that despite our best efforts admin has chosen to deny our request to add me to the class.  I then submit an email to the director stating my reasons for desiring to be admitted as well as stating the various sacrifices I had made in the days preceding submitting the necessary form.  At 5:30 pm I received a phone call from the admission director stating she had added me to the class.  I returned her call to say thank you and her response was you have been given a gift now take it and run with it. I suppose I should have told her how much I love running, but I knew a simple thank you very much for your time would have to suffice at the moment after all I believe I was her last call of the work day and words couldn't have done justice to my gratitude.

However, the story doesn't end there at this point the professor is still under the impression I have not been added to the class so I haven't been placed in the computer system so I am unable to complete my assignments.  Friday morning 10:00 am the adventure begins.  I am in the computer finally along with an email from the professor stating his expectations as once outlined to me in the Wednesday evening class.  Lucky for me I had done my chapter reading so I was prepared to take the two exams and was able to score above 80% on each one.  I was also able to complete the 20 pages of reading as well as the questionairre and the autobiography was so easily completed as I had just done one last year and was fortunate to locate a copy on my computer so I just needed to do some rewriting and fine tuning.  I then scored the 100% that was expected, but I must be honest the first try I did miss one question.

I traveled to class once again Friday night after arranging for the boys to spend the night at friend's houses. I didn't score as well as I would have liked on my vocab quiz but I know how to be better prepared next time and hopefully will have more than a few hours time to prepare for it. As this was only a 3 day class I'm very satisfied with the results of a measly A-.

Okay the fun part of it all was being fitted for the academy uniform.  I haven't worn a uniform in two years.
And on to the cpr training. I completed it just a couple of hours ago after attending it all day.  I am now certified as a healthcare professional in cpr. This will be great for my current employment as well as it is also valid for 2 years and will replace my previous one year certification that I recently received last year.

Some how, some way there was always just enough time to do it all.

And one of my biggest inspirations in life said to me tonight that just goes to show a little determination pays off.

Time for a new doo

I've often contemplated cutting my hair and donating it to locks of love.  Lately my hair has been a tad unruly so I decided it was time for a change.  After 15 years of layers or all the same length I thought to myself a new year is approaching why not start it with a new hair style.  So I walked into the hair salon and said okay I'm ready to donate my hair today and check one more thing off my list of things to do once in my life.

My hair was washed, brushed and placed in a ponytail (for the last time for a while). Then my stylist went snip snip snip above the ponytail and voila I had a new haircut.  Okay  it was just that simple but then again it wasn't simple at all she had to do some finishing touches and I walked out of the salon and had to come home and style it all by myself. I think I have a little bit of adjusting to do, but all in all I'm glad I did it and if some little child with cancer can benefit from it I will be all the more thankful.