Catching up with Friends

It has been over a month since my last post... GASP! I know, I know. I am such a bad blogger. I won't bore you with the laundry list of excuses. I will say we have been very busy and not busy at the same time. I am sure you all have experienced that as well.

Our friend Courtney, from Boulder Colorado, (originally from IL) came for a 2 week visit at the end of April. It was so good seeing her and visiting. I will admit, at first I was a little worried about having a house guest for 2 weeks, even if it is one of our best friends. But I was very happy to put my worries to rest very early on. We were able to hang out and do a bunch of stuff together; and when she needed her down time we needed ours as well. Courtney and I went on an 11 mile hike on the Cumberland Trail. Our destination was Imodium Falls. Not quite sure why they call it Imodium, but I am gonna guess it has something to do with Native American stuff and NOT diarrhea and the symptoms of gas...at least that is the hope ;-)

Above: thank goodness for long arms...C's not mine ;-) duh.

Above: The falls -- Cool swimming hole, right?

Above: Flower we saw on our hike, I think it is Jack in the Pulpit?

We also went to a pancake breakfast for 3 Chattanooga Firemen and their families. They were raising money to off-set the costs of some catastrophic illnesses they had been dealing with. Courtney got hit on 2x by some sexy firemen while trying to get some more of their yummy pancakes ;-)

Above: our first serving of pancakes...

We also went to the Hunter Art Museum, rode our bikes around the reservoir on Raccoon Mountain, went shopping, and partied it up with Carrie, Wes, Laura, and Mary Alice at Food Works. That was a day and half ;-) We started at Food Works for $1 mimosas and brunch. I had my first experience with chicken and waffles. OMG! I think that is the breakfast of champions. After we exhausted Food Works of their OJ and Champagne, we made our way to the Chattanooga Market. The Market is an outdoor festival held every Sunday at the Tennessee pavilion. It started April 25th (the day we went) and goes until September 30th. They have crafts, fresh produce, live music, and "refreshments." We of course partook in the refreshments component. Yeah, good times. Then we meandered back to Carrie and Laura's apartment and proceeded to eat, drink, and play Apples to Apples. BTW, Apples to Apples is the best game ever! I love hanging out with good friends and having a good time. But then again...who doesn't, right? ;-) All in all, I really loved having Courtney stay with us. We have always been close, but her visit in April really gave us an opportunity to "hang" with each other. I miss her already.

Above: Cool mirror piece @ museum

Above: one of my favorite paintings (I have no clue who the artist is...I think local Chattanoogaian)

Above: first round of mimosas @ Food Works!

Above: Wes and his new "tool" (left hand)

After Courtney left, it was back to business as usual. Work has been ok for me. GAIA Fitness is really starting to resemble a true company rather than merely a hobby. We have a decent number of clients and have been able to make some really good connections. We have business licenses, state/county/federal permits, tax IDs, resale IDs, bank accounts, etc. Andy has been hard at work trying to get all "bonafide." I am going to take some time this weekend and work my organizational magic and create spreadsheets, calendars, and update email accounts. Once we get all that stuff organized and ready, then we can concentrate on the most important component of our business...getting people healthy! Speaking of which, I am so excited to be working with the group we have so far. I am even more excited to see their happiness with their achievements and goals. I think it is really much more satisfying to see others reach their goals.

Well, ta ta for now. Not so much on the "writing with a purpose" front, but with over a month since my last post I thought a recap was in order.

Heather

New blogs I follow...

Hi y'all,

There are a couple new blogs I follow. Thought you might want to add to your summer reading list ;-) They are all in the side bar, but here are some explanations of the titles:

GAIA Fitness-duh...Andy and my coaching company ;-) hehe
Annie's Eats-awesome recipe blog, great pictures and super yummy food
Case Racing & News- Melisa & Ryan Case's personal blog (friends from Normal, IL)
Kym Faszweski-female pro cyclist here in Chattanooga. She rides for Vantaggio Racing (her husband and her's cycling coaching company)

Take care and enjoy social networking!

Growlers, Woodpeckers, and Debit Cards...Oh my!

I left TN early Saturday morning on the 27th of March. I packed the car the night before, so I would be sure to leave early and not forget anything. There I was, traveling along enjoying the Tennessee landscape. I figured I would pull off with a half tank of gas to fill up; and I would make it through Nashville with out a problem. Then WHAMO! I opened my billfold and realized my debit/ATM card was missing. Dang. I must have left it back at home. CRAP. I racked my brain to try and figure out how to get money and keep heading North. That was a no go. I HAD to turn around and head home to get my card. Double crap. After I finished cussing and throwing a temper tantrum I calmed down and tried to remember where in the "H" I had left it...AHHHH HAAAAAA!!! My favorite pair of jeans, that I packed in my suitcase!!!!! So very very excited. I pulled off the interstate ripped open my suitcase and snatched up my card. Thank goodness. The entire fiasco only derailed me by 1.5 hours, but I was 10 times more exhausted than I was when I started.

On the road again. I had 4 growlers of TN/GA beer (for Mick and Geno), 1 frozen pilated woodpecker (for ISU's collection), and the punisher (for my epic ride in Blonormal). I was set.

The rest of the road trip was pretty uneventful. I even took a different route (on Dad's suggestion). Typically, I get lost trying to find my way out of a paper bag, so the fact I was successful in taking a different route than planned, was monumental -- to say the least. I owe it all to my new phone, the Droid Eris. Google Maps is a standard application. I think it is my favorite function on my phone.

For the first part of my trip, I was at my parent's house in Aurora. My family threw a birthday party for all who were celebrating a birthday in March/April (me, my mom, Amanda, and her boyfriend Josh). I baked an apple pie and made black eyed peas. The pie was a hit...the peas not so much. I liked them, but I think the 'northern' taste buds are not ready for black eyed peas just yet. Later that night we played Rock Band. Similar to Guitar Hero. Josh had the whole set up. 2 guitars, microphone, and drums. I am going to try to upload a video soon...totally hilarious.

The rest of the visit was pretty casual. Dad and I went on a 10 mile bike ride on the bike trail. (my first in over 5 months ;-) Amanda and I made a German chocolate cake for my mom's birthday on the 30th. Then the morning of the 31st, I headed off to Peoria, IL to see Elaine and Al.

I was able to see Nate (Andy's cousin) perform at his last talent show at St. Mary's grade school. Nate is graduating this year and will be the last of the Schaidle clan to go to St. Mary's (this was Chris and Andy's grade school). It was so neat to see where Elaine taught and where the boys went to school. After getting settled in at the house, Elaine and I went on a 5 mile hike. It was strange to hike someplace so flat. It was still a little challenging, since I have not done much except yoga for the past 2 months. For dinner that night, we went to Jim's Steakhouse in Peoria. Very fancy. I had a filet mignon ala oscar style (bearnaise sauce on the side ;-))

The next day I headed to Bloomington/Normal. I was able to stay with Mick and Nancy Hannah. Such nice people to let such a vagabond crash in their spare bedroom. We all headed to Lucca Pizza and Pasta for some pie. My favorite is the Ala Baldini. Yum. There were a bunch of peeps that were able to make it (Mike, Nancy, Geno, Becky, Shawn, Tamara, and Jessica). We planned to ride the next day at 2 pm. UGH. What a ride. 30 mph head winds out of the South is not my idea of a fun ride. On the way out to Lake Bloomington it was stellar~30 mph tail wind rocks. On the way back, I was wishing I was climbing the back side of Raccoon Mtn. (the hardest climb I have ever done) The way I see it, I can improve on a mountain climb. I don't think I will ever FEEL like I have improved in 30 mph winds. Central IL--you can have your wind. I will take my mountains any day. :)

That night I was able to meet up with Chris, Cara, Jonah, and Larry. I was able to see Chris and Cara's new house in Lexington. It is a beautiful old home that has a ton of potential. They have already done some really great things that I am super impressed with. (Nice job guys). It was great to see Larry and catch up with everything going on with the Sweet side of the family. Cara and Jonah had just gotten in from a week in Las Vegas visiting Frank and Sue; and Chris had also just gotten home from a 2 day conference in St. Louis. As I was running out of steam as well, we visited for a couple of hours and then I was back on the road to Peoria.

Saturday was my birthday. I woke up to some beautiful Easter lilies, chocolates, and a card from Andy. Big smiles. It made my birthday (that I was NOT looking forward to) so much better. We headed to Princeville, IL for a 5k. Since I have not ran since January, it was a hard race to start. It was down pouring and I was debating on bailing. But then, a birthday miracle happened. The weather cleared up 5 minutes before the race and I finished in a decent time. For not running too much I am happy. (26:34) After the race we went back to Elaine's and she and I made Grandma Schaidle's cinnamon rolls. I have had the recipe for 3 years, but have been too intimidated to try it on my own. Elaine showed me all the 'tricks' and 'tips.' Hopefully, I can do these on my own for Andy next time.

Saturday night we had a game night. We played Catch Phrase and Quelf. I have played Catch Phrase before, very fun game. Now Quelf on the other hand...I think the person(s) who created this game were high. Seriously. I think they were smoking some serious hydroponics when they thought this one up. I can't explain it. You gotta try it for sure. It is fun, but really "out there."Easter was awesome. My dress turned out great (thanks Amanda). I wished Andy could have been up. I got to see almost all of his family on the Schaidle side. They seemed to enjoy the cinnamon rolls I made. Either they enjoyed them or they are really good liars. Not sure ;-) After everyone left, I was exhausted. I tried to relax, but 10 days away from our home/Andy/dogs. I was UBER homesick. Elaine and I packed up the car (with the addition of Andy's childhood crap, I needed the help--haha) and went to bed.

I woke up early again to get on the road before the morning rush hour traffic. The drive home was so different from what it was a little over 1 year ago. Last year, I was excited to start a new chapter of my life. I realized on this 10.5 hour drive (1 hour of traffic outside of Nashville...grrrr) that Tennessee is my home. I don't want to live anywhere else. The weather is mild and beautiful. The mountains are amazing. The rivers/creeks are breathtaking. My life is in Tennessee. I will always love going back to IL to see friends and family, but that chapter of my life is closed now and I am so looking forward to our adventures here in the Southeast.

Also, I have been inspired to get my lazy a$% off the couch and start running, biking, and swimming again. It is way too hard to try and do all the stuff I love without being in good shape ;-) To all my TN friends...let's go play!

BTW-- I will say, the ONLY thing that totally bites about Tennessee are the drivers. Seriously, I think they get their driver's licenses from Cracker Jack boxes. Absolutely no concept of turn signals, cruise control, or left lane/right lane etiquette.

Blarg!

So many things to talk about, but are they "blog worthy?" Every time I sit down to write I think about the first blog of this year and how I promised myself to write with a purpose. Writing with a purpose can be very subjective. Do I write for myself or do I write for you? The reader's idea of purposeful prose can be very different from mine. How do I accomplish poignant writing AND satisfied readers? Not that I am a "writer" by any means...but I wonder how one does become one?
Maybe it is pure selfishness. I write for me and me alone. If you don't like it -- don't read it. Maybe it is at the other end of the spectrum. I write for an audience and put my own thoughts/feelings on the back burner. Hmmm.
Well, that was entirely too much thinking for a Monday night. Onto the task at hand. I have decided today's blog is about complete and utter randomness.

It has been over 1 year since I moved to Tennessee (1 year 3 weeks and 4 days). I said when I left IL, I would come up and visit all the time. After all it is only a 9 hour dive. Well, life and time have gotten the best of me. I have not been back since I moved. Sometimes it feels like yesterday we were at Lucca Grill drinking a Schlafly.

Then other times it feels like I have lived in Tennessee for ever. I am really excited to see family and friends. Not too excited about the late March early April weather I will be experiencing. ;-) It is really nice down here. Some days are more rainy than I would like, but very nice nonetheless. I am going to be able to see my parents and sisters in Aurora and then onto Peoria and Bloomington.

Andy and I got new cell phones this weekend. We actually suffered through the 2 year indentured servant contract with Verizon and were able to upgrade both of our phones to the new Droid ERIS..for free! So cool! While we were activating our phones on-line, I had an epiphany of sorts. I wonder if my grandparents would believe we were using small pieces of plastic and metal that are the size of a thick credit card to call people, surf the world wide web, take pictures, & update social media (first, we would probably need to explain what social media and the world wide web were). I know for a fact my grandparents used a phone similar to this...
How strange to think at one time we had to get on the phone and ask someone on the other end to connect us with the person we were trying to call. Stranger to think if someone was already calling another person on that phone line, you had to hang up and try back another time. Sheesh call waiting and shared lines for goodness sake! How archaic. Now a days, we can't imagine a call actually going to voice mail, let alone sharing an actual telephone line (not a tower/satellite connection) with another person. I do have to say, I didn't think I would get the hang of the "smart phone" or even use all the features...boy was I wrong! It seriously is the coolest piece of technology I have ever had. So glad I live in the 21st century.

Yoga is awesome! Andy and I have been doing yoga at North Shore Yoga for the past 2 months. I have felt amazing. Strong, flexible, and A LOT less clumsy. I know, hard to believe, right? The room is heated to at least 85* While practicing, you get so hot and sweaty, the sweat is actually dripping off you. For a workout junkie like myself, this is such a nice treat in the cold months. It is so hard to work up a sweat and feel like you actually "worked out." The other day, I thought I would do yoga at home. So I popped in my trusty DVD and started up the session. For the most part, it was fine. I did feel like it was taking a lot longer than usual to get "into the groove" of things. I realized the next day, where the problem lied. I was UBER sore! I know after doing 2 months of yoga in a studio, there was no way the DVD I did was harder than yoga at North Shore. It was the lack of warm surroundings that made me so sore. It will take a lot of convincing to get me to do yoga outside of a warm studio again. I could see having a yoga session in the middle of the summer outside being really awesome.

Ok, I think my complete and utter abandonment of anything resembling a coherent thought has been completely illustrated here. I guess some randomness never hurt anything...or did it?

See y'all on the flip side and take care.

GAIA Fitness

I have been trying to think of a way to announce our new company GAIA Fitness to my readers (btw...I am hoping it is readers and not reader ;-))

I am thinking I should do a little "rewind" on our lives. We moved from central Illinois to Chattanooga, TN for the rock climbing. Yup. You read correctly. Andy and I are rock climbers. We met rock climbing and most of our dear friends are rock climbers. Try not to hold that against us ;-)

Being rock climbers in Illinois, we had to figure out something to do in the "off season" of rock climbing. The best time to climb is in the fall, winter, and spring--if it is not too wet. So during the summer we picked up swimming, biking, and running...the birth of triathlon for us. We both were in careers that we enjoyed but didn't LOVE. Something needed to change. So we moved to Chattanooga. Chattanooga, TN is the heart of pristine world class rock climbing in the Southeast. Also, Chattanooga has some of the BEST biking and running I have ever experienced. I think Bill Ramsey's editorial illustrates our thoughts, feelings, and reactions of friends and family best...

You Are Not Your Job: Bill Ramsey

After 18 years at Notre Dame, I’ve quit my job teaching philosophy and accepted a position at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Despite being happy working at Notre Dame, I was generally miserable living in South Bend, Indiana. Much of my misery stemmed from the absurd amount of driving required to go climbing. I would clock over 800 round trip miles to climb at Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, spending 14 hours behind the wheel each weekend. By contrast, in Las Vegas superb year-round limestone and sandstone climbing will never be more than 45 minutes away. It was a classic career versus lifestyle decision. As some of my Catholic friends advocate, I chose life.

Most people who know me understand the decision. Still, some have expressed surprise that I could make such a move. After all, it could be said that I was failing to properly advance my career by accepting a position at a less prestigious university. One friend’s email put it this way:

“Who in their right mind would quit a job at ND to move to Vegas? It’s not like you’re going to continue climbing hard for many years to come…Are you really so obsessed with climbing that it’s more important than your career?”

The message ignored certain factors behind my decision, like what winters are like in northern Indiana – or what everything is like in northern Indiana. But the bottom line is, yes, I really am so obsessed with climbing that, in certain respects, it is more important than my career. The fulfillment that I get from teaching and writing is enormous. However, I determined long ago that my life without climbing – without the places, people and experiences that climbing has introduced to me – would be unacceptably diminished. Whether I’m projecting a hard sport route, getting my ass kicked way off the deck on a wall, or taping bloody fingers for the 10^th hour of a marathon session in the gym, climbing is a critical dimension of who I am, who I hang out with, and, now, where I live.

When people find out I’m a philosopher, they often ask me about the meaning of life. Bad question. Meaning is not of life but in life. It’s in the various endeavors we pursue and relationships we develop that, if we are lucky, prove to be deeply gratifying. The way we earn a living certainly can (and should) be a part of that. I’m happy to have found a career where it is. But it is only one part. That’s why professionals who could be earning more money and stature working in Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York are moving to towns like Bend, Telluride, Fayetteville, and even Las Vegas. What the hell are they thinking? They are thinking about the other parts – the parts with fresh powder, Class V whitewater, or miles of pocketed limestone…the parts that enrich their lives in ways that no career advancement ever could.

I make no apologies for choosing a path where my career occasionally comes second, just so I can climb hard. Something, by the way, that will continue for many years to come. ~ Bill Ramsey

Andy and I have gotten the opportunity this year to really evaluate our lives and what we want to do to make the most out of our experience on this beautiful planet. I think Bill Ramsey is right, but I also think you can have a career that is just as important as your life outside of work. Andy and I love being active and helping people. Without even promoting ourselves as coaches, people have asked us to help them with their own athletic endeavors over the years.

We have decide to make it official and throw our hats into the ring. GAIA Fitness is born! We picked the name GAIA because of its origin. GAIA is the Greek mythology goddess "Mother Earth." We believe being psychically fit is such an organic experience we wanted to associate our company with something equally powerful. We are a full service coaching company. Our client base ranges from beginner personal training for weight loss to endurance athletes. Check us out on the Web, Twitter, and Facebook. Also, there is a link to GAIA Fitness web-site in the sidebar of my blog.

We are so excited to start our new path and have you all join us from the start.

PS- We are getting TN phone numbers next week, so the contact information on the "Contact Us" page is going to change soon. Also, we haven't "officially launched" yet we are still ironing out the business license, tax ID info, etc. So keep an eye-out for our upcoming press release soon! Yeah!

FA: Facebook Anonymous

"Hello, my name is Heather and I am addicted to Facebook."

"Hi Heather."

In years past, I have given up many different things for lent: swearing, drinking, biting my nails, cracking my knuckles, T.V., and pop -- just to name a few. But this year, I was trying to think of something that would be REALLY hard.

Let me rewind, there might be some people who are unfamiliar with Lent and how Catholics participate in Lent. First, Lent is the 40 days before Easter. The 40 days are representative of the 40 days Jesus retreated to the wilderness and fasted for 40 days -- it was at this time he was also tempted by the devil; and Jesus overcame the 3 temptations the devil proposed. Some people also might not know Mardi Gras is a celebration that starts after the Epiphany (January 6th - celebration of when the 3 kings visited baby Jesus) and ends on Fat Tuesday. To go further, Fat Tuesday is the last day before Lent/Ash Wednesday -- when you will fast and pay penance for your sins for 40 days...

Disclaimer: I don't consider myself to be a devout Catholic, nor even a good one for that matter. I haven't gone to confession since high school and I don't believe ALL the teachings in the Bible. I guess you could say I am a "pick and choose" Catholic. Not that I need to bore you with my belief system. I think y'all can believe whatever you want and do whatever you want as long as you are a good person and try to be the best example of humanity out there. K, nuff said. Ok, now that we have come full circle and we have had a little theology for the day, back to Facebook and why I gave it up for Lent.

I have found over the past year I have become ummm how do you say... totally addicted to Facebook?! Seriously people! I am obsessed with checking my Facebook. I think about it when I am at work! I want to get a smart phone so I can check it when I am away from a computer! I feel out of touch when I don't check-in at least 3 times a day! Obsessed.

The sad thing is, I know I am not alone. I will excuse the people who promote their business via social media: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. To be honest, if it weren't for me and my "friends" the folks who promote their businesses on Facebook wouldn't have an audience. Supply and demand. So that brings me to the steps of Facebook recovery...

1. I have admitted I am powerless over Facebook.

2. I vow not to even type www.Facebook.com in my browser.

3. I will start connecting with my friends the old fashion way--e-mailing via my 4 email accounts.

4. I promise to use the extra time I have productively--blogging.

5. I will "officially" work while I am AT work.

6. I will convey my thoughts in complete sentences, rather than finishing said sentences with dangling participles. (Note to self: Wikipedia dangling participles)

7. I will stop overusing exclamation marks and question marks in correspondence.

8. I will stop thinking status updates are the definition of a person.

9. I will avoid expressing shock and amazement when someone tells me they don't have a Facebook account.

10. After completing the above nine steps...I will have completely prepared to enlist the help of my dear friend Pinky and embark on my epic journey of TAKING OVER THE WORLD!

After all is said and done, the first 8 days haven't been that bad. I thought I would be missing out on all this awesome stuff and all my friends would desert me, but none of that has happened--so far. Well actually, I almost missed out on an awesome girls night, but thanks to the power of hotmail I was saved :) Whew. Close one. We will see how I am doing in a couple weeks, but so far so good.

I will leave you with one random thing I experienced today. You know you are a Chattanoogian when you hear this on your morning commute and you know what they are talking about: "There is a big 18 wheeler turned over by the space ship house on Signal. So there is slow going for them folks this morning." The local country radio station must be trying out a new traffic guy...try to imagine this with a super thick Southern accent. Made me smile. BTW...it is for sale.

The Love Algorithm

Je t'aime - Ich liebe Dich - Te amo -Aloha wau ia 'oe

This weekend is full of love. It may be a Hallmark holiday, but that does not stop the millions maybe billions (seriously there are over 8.3 million people in NY, NY alone) of people who will buy cards, flowers, dinner, or a special gift for the 1 person they love the MOST.

Is that what it is all about? To be validated? If I get a gift on Valentine's day, that means there is someone in this crazy world who loves ME more than they love anyone else out there. Maybe it is a day for validation and not merely fabricated by industry. Or maybe it is deeper than that.

When I was younger I thought women were the only ones who wanted to be in a relationship. All the relationships I had ever been in, the guys seemed less interested in me than I did in them. I prided myself on being a great girlfriend. I was empathetic, smart, cute, funny (or so I thought ;-)), and above all was behind them 100%--sometimes blindly. But it never worked out. As I have gotten older, my view of what a good relationship is has changed. Thank God.

Maybe the guys I dated in my youth were interested in me as much as I was in them, but weren't interested in companionship. My mom always said "Boys are a little behind girls..." I thought that was a nice way of saying,"They are just not that into you honey, so move on." The patience a teenage or 20-something woman has to have is incredible. Not that I am saying to all the young gals out there, "Be patient chica, that dirt bag who treats you like a doormat...he will come around." No way. There really are some guys that are just not that into you. Sometimes, young women get a plan in their heads and don't have the patience to change that plan. They get stuck in the middle of a relationship with expectations and thoughts of how it is supposed to be; and then don't know how to change it without a) breaking up b) nagging or c) turning into a doormat. I think it is really simple. Respect. If you can respect yourself then you can respect your partner. In turn, he will respect you AND the relationship.

It could be some super duper complicated algorithm for love, maybe not...maybe it is as simple as love. Maybe we should save our money this weekend and say "I love you" AND mean it.

Fun "love" facts:

• Other mammals that mate for life--Gibbon apes, wolves, termites, coyotes, barn owls, beavers, bald eagles, golden eagles, condors, swans, brolga cranes, French angel fish, sand-hill cranes, pigeons, prions (a seabird), red-tailed hawks, angler fish, ospreys, prairie voles (a rodent), black vultures, and some primates
  
• Geoffrey Chaucer invented the modern day concept of Valentine's Day and is not directly related to the Catholic saint, St. Valentine
• In 2009, Nikola Matovic and Kristina Reinhart of Germany established the record for the longest kiss-- 32:07:14 hrs.
  
• National Retail Federation (NRF) for 2010 predicted total holiday spending for Valentine's Day will reach 14.1 billion dollars