Category: Life

Unbelievably Fortunate Birthday

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Birthday dinner at Blue Moon Evolution in Exeter, NH.

If you have never been to Blue Moon, you must go! It’s an amazing farm-to-table, upscale dining experience. The atmosphere is elegant, but casual, homey and warm. We made a reservation to sit in the dining room, but we have also walked in just to sit at the bar. The servers are friendly and informative. The cocktails are innovative and tasty. I have had the Beetnik After Dark and the Rosalita…both highly recommended. The wine list is also great, you can’t go wrong there.

Thanks, Dana. These are amazing.

Thanks, Dana. These are amazing.

That night we started with the charcuterie board. The items all the board change based on the season. I have had it a couple times and it’s never disappointed. I ordered haddock as my meal and it was delicious – I ate every single bite. This was probably my fifth or sixth time having the haddock and it is consistently amazing.

For dessert we shared the flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. I also highly recommended their french press coffee. It’s even better in the form of “Cabin Fever” where it is served with maple whiskey.

Yes, this meal was quite gluttonous, but every bite was savored. I left feeling comfortably full. My favorite part of Blue Moon is that I always leave feeling unbelievably satisfied. It’s real food that has been cared for throughout the course of it’s life. That care makes better food and, in turn, make us better after we eat it. Isn’t that what food should do?

Found this on the whiteboard at 5:30am. Thanks Dana and Gwen!

Found this on the whiteboard at 5:30am. Thanks Dana and Gwen!

October 7, 1985

My birthday. I heard a lot o,f “You’re almost 30,” and was asked, “Are you feeling older?” Yes, I am almost 30, but no, I am not feeling older. I am feeling wiser, more secure, and more accomplished, but not old. I still think I am 22. I forget that I grew up in the 90s. I feel good. I am more fit than ever before. I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store!

Sometimes you feel like the years are catching up with you. Your mind has cobwebs, your joints might be achy, your skin doesn’t quite have the smoothness that it once did, but you somehow remember that you are, infact, still alive and have much more living to do. Sometimes all it takes is a small gesture from another person, or a great workout, or a new piece of clothing to help you feel refreshed and re-energized.

For Mexican Night! Guacamole...tableside! Thanks, Jameson. And a sharpener for my knives - priceless.

For Mexican Night! Guacamole…tableside! Thanks, Jameson. And a sharpener for my knives – priceless.

Outpouring of Thoughts

I felt like the luckiest girl in the world on Tuesday. I just cannot even describe how loved I felt on that day. The notes, the gifts, the well-wishes…it was all just so wonderful. Thank you to everyone who reached out to make me feel special on Tuesday. I truly appreciate it.

When I was going to sleep that night I thought about how lucky I am to have such amazing family, friends, and a large extended gym family. At times I think we take all those relationships for granted. We get caught up in life and sometimes end up in the motions. Those of us who are lucky enough to have such amazing people around us quickly come back from those moments and end up feeling renewed and totally revved about life!

Right now I am totally revved.

Thank you!

New crockpot from some of the 9am ladies! Thank you Carol, Audrey, Mel, and Lauren. It's already been put to good use.

New crockpot from some of the 9am ladies! Thank you Carol, Audrey, Mel, and Lauren. It’s already been put to good use.

Core Values

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Core Values…what are they?

I was recently asked to complete an exercise where the first part was to define my core values. It was work-related, so I focused on core values relating to my work. It took me a while, but I finally wrote down my responses. I knew there were no right and wrong answers, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. A few weeks later, I was thinking about completing the same exercise for my own personal life. I had a really hard time defining these core values. I was disturbed by this. Am I a bad person? Why am I struggling with this simple task? Is it simple? Do others struggle with this?

sunset

I looked up some articles on defining core values and it helped me to understand how to think about them in relation to my everyday life. A description that helped me went a little like this: Your core values are like the stars in your sky. You can look to them for guidance no matter where you are. What steers your ship?

Okay, now we were getting somewhere…

I sat in front of my computer for a while, trying to redo this exercise and figure out “the stars in my sky”. I still felt like a terrible, soul-less person. star-less person. But then I began to type. I began to write about concepts that make me who I am. I was describing my core values, I was just having trouble thinking of a single word to go along with them. Maybe I do have stars in my sky after all!

I found this exercise to be motivating and very thought-provoking. As children we are (hopefully) taught about values and they become instilled in us by our parents and other significant people in our lives. As adults we can choose to continue with those same values and live our lives by them or toss them out the window for different ones that fit with our adult selves.

This is what I came up with for myself:

  1. Drive. I always feel a need to be better, whether it’s in my job or my personal life; I always want to continue to journey of being better than I am.
  2. Integrity. Always striving to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. Living the life that aligns with your values. This can be HARD!
  3. Education & Learning. Always continuing to learn and become more knowledgeable.
  4. Fun. Remembering to have fun and life; taking time to laugh and enjoy.
  5. Family. These are the people that you spend time with. They are there for you no matter what.

I would challenge you to take on this exercise. Make this list. It may evolve over time. Sit down and really think about how you operate. What are the stars that guide you through everyday life? How do you make decisions? How do you handle tough situations?

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Change

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Change. It’s a scary thing. At least to me it is. I have always been freaked out by change. I began to realize I had “issues” with change when I was 12 and I had to transition from my hometown elementary school to a much larger, regional middle school. I could walk to my elementary school, I felt safe and happy there. Middle school was 20 minutes away from home and I was mixed in with a bunch of kids I didn’t know.

I felt the fear and anxiety, but wasn’t sure how to handle it. It manifested itself in various ways, upset stomach, tension through my whole body, insomnia, and general all-over stress. For a little kid, things were way too complicated. I eventually got used to going to middle school and fit in just fine.

The next big change was college. That came with a whole host of other issues. The college years, though, were where I really began to figure out ways to take control of the feelings that came along with major changes in life. By the time I decided to go to graduate school I almost felt a need to prove that I could handle change. I chose Oregon; literally one of the farthest places away from New Hampshire. If you folded a map of the US in half, NH and OR would touch.

I certainly become much tougher by moving so far away and enduring the rigors of academia without the comfort of friends and family. I had to make new friends for the first time since middle school. My skills hadn’t improved much, but I did manage to find some great buddies out there. I’m not sure if my ability to manage change has gotten better or if I have learned to deal with the feelings that come along with the change.

I know that I definitely still feel uneasy and fearful when I anticipate a big change, or when a big change actually happens. I tend to lose my appetite and withdraw. I try to remind myself that without change, there cannot be growth. This concept is helpful for keeping everything in perspective. When helping others create lasting, meaningful change in their lives, this is often something I talk about. If you are unhappy with the way something is going, but you keep doing the same thing day in and day out, how can you expect anything to ever be different, or change? 

Change is difficult and can be very uncomfortable. If you know that change is coming, or want to  make a change in your life, it can be helpful to envision yourself on the other side of the change. How does the view look from that side? Is it making you happy; are you feeling good; are you glad you made the change and can you sustain it?

If unexpected change comes about, it may be a little but more difficult to process. Try to keep perspective and not let it send you into a tailspin. Do your best to find the positive, or the silver lining. Talk about the change and call on others to help you manage your feelings.

We’re not too different from the people we were back in middle school, but by now we should have learned that there will always be change in life. Change we ask for and move toward, and change that sneaks up and blindsides us. We are always works in progress, and change is what shapes us into who we become, so we need to do our best to embrace it and not let it drag us down.

If-you-do-not-change__quotes-by-Lao-Tzu-60

 

 

Inside the Gym, Outside the Gym. Connecting the Dots.

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So here’s the deal. I think that sometimes we lose sight of the simple truth that we what do outside of the gym has an effect on what happens inside the gym and vice versa. For example, I know many people who love to have a couple beers or a glass of wine in the evening. We may not realize how this simple choice to have this drink will impact our performance in the gym the next morning. Or how about the choice to never mobilize aside from the little bit you do at the gym pre- and post-WOD? I’m not saying that we’re bad people because we have a drink at night or don’t foam roll and couch stretch at home, I simply want to highlight how it’s all connected.

I used to drink red wine all the time. Then I started CrossFit. My 6am wake-ups to get to the gym by 7am were not so great after having a glass or two of wine at night. I reduced my wine consumption and it was easier to get up in the morning. I was also surprised at how much better I felt during my workouts. The wine at night was a habit. I had gotten so used to doing it that I didn’t even think twice, it was part of my day. I never even considered how much it was affecting my sleep and my performance in the gym.

This concept is not just reserved to behaviors such as our choice to eat/drink certain foods or our mobility routine, however. It goes beyond that to our thoughts and our attitudes. If we walk around everyday having negative self-talk and a bad attitude, most likely we will enter the gym with those same thoughts – just like the wine from the night before following us in during our morning WOD. Conversely, positive, self-assuring thoughts and a generally good attitude will allow us to cruise though the ups and downs of daily life, and handle challenges the gym throws our way. Sort of like how the extra mobility we do at night will help us when we lift the next day.

Learning to allow small victories of daily life to fuel our positive thoughts and good attitudes is important and will carry over into the gym atmosphere. Ever notice people’s attitudes and mood when they come into the gym and how those might change over the course of an hour? Even if you come to the gym in a foul mood, put a smile on your face; fake it till you make it! By then end of your class you’ll probably be smiling for real.

Be mindful of how your choices outside the gym walls impact what happens in the gym. Also, notice how your behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes in the gym affect your daily life. Are you connecting the dots? If changes need to be made, find a way to make them.

Cheers!

Cheers!

Try New Things

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I have been a skier for a long time. For over 20 years I have two-planked it down the slopes with a high level of confidence and proficiency. My ski career took a hit when I went to grad school and spent my weekends in the library rather than on the mountain. That was okay though, because, like riding a bike, I knew it was something I could return to. Being so involved in CrossFit has made me more confident in my abilities and has helped me to be more eager to try new things, especially athletic things.

I have many friends who snowboard and are really good at it. It was always an activity that I thought I could be good at if I learned. Also, for some reason it looked easier than skiing. Notice how I used the past tense there. It looked easy…but it’s so NOT easy, at least not for me.

Last Sunday, Matt, Jameson, and I decided to try our hand at snowboarding. Matt has also been a skier for a long time. Jameson had never set foot on a mountain in the winter. We headed up to Pat’s Peak on the sunny March morning and rented out boots and boards. Luckily there are a couple of beginner areas that we staked out. Once I figured out the binding situation, I strapped in and sat there for a few minutes. A part of me felt kind of strange because I knew I was going to look like a fool. I have always said that if I was going to learn I would take a lesson, but we decided to completely wing it. I was actually pretty terrified to even stand up on the board. But I did stand up…and then I fell. Up, down, up, down…onto the knees, onto the tail bone. I’ve never been so thankful for my CrossFit booty.

The Padden family met us up there and we spent the day shredding with the kiddos. I never thought I’d be outdone by a 4 and 6 year old at a sport, but on this day I was, and it was awesome. Spending the day on the slopes in the fresh air reminded me of being a kid and enjoying ski vacations with my family. The best part was challenging myself to really go outside of my comfort zone and try something totally new. Aside from the challenges CrossFit throws at me, I don’t do this very often. Here are some pictures from the day!

I conquered the Magic Carpet!

I conquered the Magic Carpet!

Here we go!

Here we go!

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The Product I’m in Love With!

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If you’ve read my blog before, you may have read about my adventures in going the all-natural route with my underarms. The first two underarm products that I tested were not too great. I mean, they kind of masked odor, but didn’t do anything as far as wetness goes. I decided to ditch those and not use anything on my underarms all together. This lasted for about a month. I was really sweaty most of the time and I had smelly pits by the end of the day. I think that I was the only one who noticed how I smelled, but it’s still not a great time. A couple of ladies on Facebook mentioned that they use the Primal Life Organics Primal Pit Stick, so I decided to order some and try it.
It first sniff I knew I loved it. I bought the lavender scent. It’s true lavender essential oil – calming and earthy. I typically apply the pit stick after I shower and it lasts and lasts. I stay dry and stink-free for days. It’s really nice to spend money on “natural” products that actually work! The pit stick contains coconut oil, aluminum-free baking soda, arrowroot powder, and beeswax. It’s pricey at $12 per stick, but well worth it in my opinion. Kudos to Primal Life Organics for creating this product. I cannot wait to try some other their other goodies.
#Obsessed

#Obsessed

It’s Not About the Silly Number!

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In the fitness industry there are so many misconceptions. There’s the “women will get bulky if they lift weights”, the “I need to get rid of this little patch of fat”, and the “fat will make you fat” – just to name a few. These misconceptions somehow evolve throughout time and make their way into our conventional wisdom. Anyone who actually knows something about human physiology, anatomy  and the science of exercise and nutrition can easily disprove these beliefs and support their reasoning with sound science, but it takes someone with an open mind to actually listen and heed advice. As a fitness professional it’s frustrating to constantly see this misinformation permeate society; we see it on the covers of magazines, in the news, and, unfortunately, coming out of fitness institutions and from the mouths of so-called “experts”.

These myths confuse the hell out of us; the ones trying to fight the good fight; exercising and eating all the right things. But are we really eating the right things? Are we really getting the most out of our time at the gym?

This post is intended for everyone; guys and ladies. Most of the time when I hear “I’m afraid I will look like a freak if I lift heavy weights” it’s coming from the mouth of a female. If I ever hear a guy say that he thinks women should not lift or that they look “manly” if they are well-muscled, then he is just not worth my time and I will stop listening. I’m not kidding. Being muscular and strong is how we keep our bodies functioning like they should; preventing injury, decrepitude, and frailty.

I’ve now been on my CrossFit/Paleo journey for over three years. It’s been an amazing and rewarding journey and a huge learning process. I want to share a little bit about the journey, in order to help change your minds about some of these misconceptions and distorted ideas that float around in the fitness business. I hope you enjoy the photos as well.

Scale weight: About 150lbs

This picture was taken at the beginning of a 30-day Paleo Challenge in 2011. Before the challenge I was eating about 75-80% Paleo; I couldn’t commit 100%. I was still drinking alcohol on a consistent basis and eating Paleo baked goods often. Partying on the weekends takes a huge toll on the body composition and training schedule. That November challenge set me up for totally committing to this way of eating; the absence of grains, dairy, legumes, and added sugar became my “normal”. I’ve never looked back.

These photos were taken at the beginning of a Spring 2012 Paleo Challenge. The differences in my body composition after a winter of CrossFit and clean eating are apparent. During this challenge I leaned out a lot. I don’t have an after photo unfortunately. There was a problem, though. I wasn’t eating enough carbohydrate to support my activity level. I was getting all of my carbs from vegetables like kale, broccoli and asparagus, which isn’t a bad thing, but it just wasn’t enough for the amount of work I was doing in the gym and for my active job as a trainer. I found myself becoming annoyed really easily and I felt fatigued a lot of the time. In the mirror I saw the results I wanted, but I knew it wasn’t sustainable because I was miserable. You can read about my food intake back then HERE.

I thought it might just be sugar withdrawal that was making me feel so shitty, but when I began reading more about carb intake and read Sweet Potato Power, I saw the light. I tracked my daily carb intake and it was not nearly enough. I added a sweet potato to my daily food intake and it was amazing. I was hesitant because I though the dense, starchy carb source wouldn’t allow me to stay as lean as I wanted, but then the opposite happened. I actually leaned out more! The best part was that I was also a lot happier. Sweet potatoes and squash are now essential to my life, haha. Sweet potato is definitely the food that I could never live without.

 

 Scale Weight: 155lbs

The above photo was taken at the beginning of my January Whole30. Since September 17th, 2012 when I embarked on a 60-day challenge I have eaten very strict Paleo; the cleanest I’ve ever been, with the exception of Christmas. I ate a lot of Paleo cookies over the holidays and enjoyed a few adult beverages. It tasted good but I felt like crap and felt bloated and swollen from the sugar and booze. I felt slow in the gym. It took me about a week and a half to completely recover from this mini-bender.

I included my weight in each of these photos to show that the number on the scale is kind of a silly thing to pay a lot of attention to. I weigh more now than I did two years ago, but I look much different; better, in my humble opinion. I am smaller now than I was back then, when I weighed less. Isn’t that strange?! I think it’s awesome. But how does this happen? Muscle is denser than body fat. So if you look at a five-pound piece of muscle it will take up less space than a five-pound piece of fat. As a result of training and clean eating, I have built muscle and reduced the amount of fat on my body. So my scale weight has increased because of the muscle, but I am smaller because I lost fat. Don’t fret if the number on the scale isn’t moving like you thought it would. In fact, put the scale in the basement or dark closet and use it sparingly, if at all. A much better way to track progress is to take measurements with a tape measure (hips, waist, chest, legs, arms) and to take before and after photos like I’ve done here. Also, gauge changes in your body by how your clothes feel. Tight jeans don’t lie!

Same weight, fat vs. muscle. Ever notice how sweet potatoes kind of look like muscles?

 

The next series of photos are a few of my lady CrossFit friends. They all train hard and eat clean. To me they are beautiful, fit, strong women. They are nowhere near “bulky” or “manly”.

Dana drags the 135# sled. She works part-time and is a full-time wife and the mom of two little cuties.

Brittany does shoulder taps. She works full-time and is also a part-time fashionista.

             

Ilda with a gorgeous clean and beautiful smile. She is a full-time student, studying medicine at Dartmouth.

My hope is that post is enlightening for my readers. If you already knew all of this, then it serves as reinforcement. If you’re still skeptical I would be happy to have a chat with you. Experiment with the food you are putting into your body; change it up if it’s not working for you. Ask a good coach for some advice if you’re not performing, looking, or feeling as good as you know you could. Most of all, give your body the time it needs to change. Change does not happen overnight. We must be patient and remain focused on our goals in the gym and outside of the gym.

Special thanks to Dana, Brittany, and Ilda for graciously agreeing to let me use their photos for this post. Thank you to my amazing chiropractors, Drs. Matt and Whitney Swiesz for repairing my posture over the past year and half. It’s very noticeable in those photos! Finally, thank you to my coaches and mentors who have helped me along this path – the entire way: My little(BIG) bro, Ky-Guy, Mike Molloy, and Rob Austin.

Please let me know what you’re thinking about this. Go forth and lift big!

 

Thankful for 2013, Hopeful for 2014

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It was October 2012 and I was sitting at a small table in the over-cluttered kitchen of a tarot card reader in Lawrence, Mass. I went on the recommendation of a few people and I was not disappointed. I was with my best friend, and she paid for both of us to have our cards read in celebration of my birthday. It was certainly a different experience. Now, you may or may not believe in astrology, or cards, of numbers, or any of that alternative stuff, but I believe there is something to all of it. I mean, this card reader lady was pretty spot on with me. The greatest thing that Lucia gave me that day was HOPE. At that time I was in a transition point in my life. She helped me to become comfortable with the path I was on and gave me hope that the future would turn out okay, as it usually does. She told me that by June of 2013 I would be in a very good spot in life. She did give me some details, and, she was uncannily accurate…2013 turned out to be a pretty great year.

Below is a list of some of the things that made 2013 so great. This new year, 2014, is going to be even better. As I get older, wiser, and have the ability to learn from mistakes I have made, I find it more and more important to reflect on years past. We must not get caught up in history, because that will hold us back, but we must be able to pick out the good times as well as the not-so-good, and take the lessons with us into the future. Applying those lessons learned is the most difficult part of it all.

1. Confidence and growth at work. Work and everything that comes with work is not easy, but it makes life so much better. When I am not working, I enjoy my time off, but look forward to getting back into it. I have matured as a coach and trainer and have delved deeper into the world of CrossFit and strength and conditioning. It’s exciting.
2. Expansion of The Fort and our community. There is nothing quite like The Fort CrossFit community. When we expanded the gym in May, we had an army of helpers all weekend. That new space has enabled us to grow our community even more. It’s amazing to look around and see the growth.
3. One Very Special Guy. I don’t really have to say much here. He knows who he is.
4. My BFF. My best friend is living in Ecuador at the moment. She has lived all over the world. When she left, back in March, I felt sad but I also knew that travel, adventure, and working to help others are things that help my friend grow. She lied to me for months about coming home for Christmas this year – she said she wouldn’t be be home and would be in Peru. Turns out she had planned to be home the entire time. The surprise was ruined when I ran into her in Hannaford the Saturday before Christmas. It was one of the best surprises I’ve ever had.
5. Training hard and becoming a much better athlete. Over the last year or so, I increased the volume and intensity of my training. I became a more focused athlete and made huge gains. For the first time, I truly had to “do work” for what I wanted. I’m still learning and deciding how much work I want to continue to do. I am amazed by what the human body can do with dedicated time and effort.
6. Learning more about finances. This might not seem like a big deal, but this year I taught myself a lot about finances. I read and asked other people lots of questions. I evaluated my money situation and I am more aware of a personal budget and much more concerned about the future and saving. Money seems to cause a lot of stress in life and as a long-term goal I am determined to not let it get the best of me. This was my first step.

While I am not a fan of making New Years resolutions, I am a fan of reflecting on my life. This is a practice that is consistent, not just part of the new year tradition. I think that it just means a little bit more in the new year, since it feels a little like a fresh start. We can put it all behind us and move forward with a renewed sense of ourselves. I think that’s called growth…? Anyway, cheers to a healthy and happy 2014. My best wishes to you and yours.

 I would be nowhere without these three.
 So thankful for TFCF. My second home. If you don’t have a sticker yet, why not!?
 There’s no secret, no magic potion; good food, lots of time, and dedication leads to results…
 Clean and Jerk ladder at CVCF Winter Throwdown. #betterthanlastyear
 My BFF.
🙂

Arm Pit Update

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A while back I posted about how I bought two types of “natural” deodorant. I’ve been using both of them. If you missed the original post, here’s the link…Chemical-Free Pits. So the first test for the Crystal Essence was an all-day CrossFit competition. That day, I participated in four workouts and did quite a but of sweating. I applied the roll-on liquid about four times. It didn’t keep my armpits dry, but it kept the body odor at bay. I’ve been reading up about what conventional deodorant actually does and how it works. It turns out that the aluminum in most antiperspirant is meant to clog the sweat ducts in your armpits. Voila! Less sweat. While a definitive link between cancer and aluminum has not been discovered, there is concern about aluminum’s effect on health. The thought of my armpits being clogged up by aluminum and other junk is just not cool.

On a daily basis I have been using the GeoDeo. I apply it a couple times each day. Like the other one, it doesn’t prevent wetness, but it has a fresh scent and it seems to keep body odor at bay. My armpits have definitely gone through a detox. I think that changing up the deodorant routine is something that you have to be committed to. I’ve tried to do it before, but was never committed to making the change. My armpits used to always be very bumpy and dry. Now the skin of my underarms is very smooth and it actually looks like skin, not a chicken with all its feathers plucked. I’ve been a bit sweatier than usual, but that is normal and to be expected since I’m no longer clogging my pits with junk. Luckily, I’m not really concerned about some pit stains since I work in a gym where sweating is the norm. I could see where this could be uncomfortable if you had a job public speaking or something like that. But sweating is normal, and natural, and it’s a process that helps us to rid our bodies of toxins. So, sweat on with your bad self.

For now I am going to continue on with my deodorant detox and see what happens.

Since I’m not going to post photos of my armpits (sorry), here are some winter pics. 
I’m in the mood for snow!
 My back yard.
 Lake Sunapee from Mt. Sunapee. One of my favorite views.
 View from the top lodge at Okemo.
Okemo. Maybe the last time I skied?

Chemical-free Pits and Old Ladies

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Today I went to Hannaford (what else is new?) to return a movie I had rented from the Red Box. Anyway, I needed some cash, so I decided I would buy a kombucha as a treat and then grab some cash back at check-out. While making my way down the natural foods aisle I scanned the bath and body products for some deodorant, but couldn’t find any. I recently ran out of my all-time favorite degree clinical protection (works like a charm, by the way), and I’ve decided to reduce the amount of chemicals that seep their way into my body by switching to a more natural deodorant. I tried the no deodorant thing for a few days and it just doesn’t feel right and I end up very smelly by night time. I mean, it’s not like people are telling me I smell, but I notice it. In the gym atmosphere, a small amount of body odor is acceptable, but what about when I go out? It’s all about a balance, right? I figured I might find some options in the regular personal hygiene aisle.

I ended up with not one, but two kinds of “natural” deodorant. See the photos below. I tend to be indecisive and I suppose I could keep one in my travel bag and one at home. My first test is the smell and feel test. I rubbed one on each of my forearms to test of how they smell and how they feel when applied. The GEODEO feels cool and wet and smells nice in the container, but loses it’s scent when applied to my arm. The Crystal Essence feels wet as well, but smells awesome, even after it’s dry – very light and fresh. My second test will be to try one under each of my arm pits. I will let you know how that goes. Both received mixed reviews on Amazon, and it seems like it all depends on one’s body chemistry. Stay tuned for more of my deodorant adventures.

The best part of my trip to Hannaford, however, was when I was waiting in the check-out line. I scanned the registers for the shortest line, as usual. Since I only had a few items I assumed that my quickest bet would be the express lane. When I got there, there was a tiny, older, gray-haired women unloading a cart of about 30 items. Fourteen item limit, lady! Come on! That was my first reaction. I heard her joking around with the cashier, who, by the way, was very gracious, and I had a flash back. Earlier in my Hannaford adventure, I heard the same older lady asking for help with something because her eyes were bad. Hence the 30 items in the 14-item lane – she couldn’t (or didn’t) read the sign. No big deal, I thought to myself, I’m not in a hurry. Even if I was in a hurry I probably wouldn’t care.

So the lady starts chatting it up with me about how she’s so old. She was 80! The cashier and I both helped her through the credit card payment process. She thanked us both a bunch of times and wished us a good day. As she wheeled her cart away, I said, “I hope I’m doing that well when I am 80” and the cashier, who couldn’t have been much older than me, said, “I’ll be happy if I make 70”. In my head I was thinking, “Jeez, lady, you gotta aim higher than that!” As I walked out to my car and watched the older women do her thing, completely independently, I thought about aging and how I am not scared of it. I do what I can to set myself up for a smooth aging process, but I am definitely not afraid of getting older. It was really a nice treat to be able to help this older women with something as simple as sliding a credit card to pay for her groceries, and it somehow made me hopeful on this dreary day. Sometimes I simple pit stop (pun totally intended) can turn into a bright spot in your routine.

GEODEO 24-hour protection, 97% Natural, Invisible solid, Island scent

Crystal Essence, Mineral deodorant roll-on, Chamomile and Green Tea scent