“I need to get this done; I don’t have much time, and you’re not helping me!” I was cleaning up my area to clock out on time when I had to stop to talk Darrell (not his real name) through the process of putting in a request for a few days off on the Amazon…
My first experience with this advice started off as a peaceful Lyft ride to work at 5:30 in the a.m. – until I asked the driver to please make a left turn instead of a right. “Why?” he asked. My response: “I’m more comfortable going in this direction – and it’s a more direct route…
Today is November 1, 2020 – the first day of the 11th month of a year we’d all like to do over. It’s also nearing the end of this presidential term, and in two days, the entire nation will be turning out to vote on whether the last four years have been a blessing that…
I am the oldest member of our Amazon Learning Team. The only other person who comes close is my supervisor and she is still I think a good 10 years younger than me. And while I’m pretty tech-savvy, I type at least 55 wpm, and I’m adept at multi-tasking, delegating, and handling on-the-spot issues when…
“Words are powerful motivators. They can either motivate you to strengthen your resolve, pull up your big-girl undies and move forward; or they can slow you toward inertia where you don’t want to do anything at all.”
I tip-toed across a layer of ice and snow toward the unprotected edge while my tour mates stared in disbelief. I’d just turned 58 and this first-time trip to the Grand Canyon was my birthday present to myself and I wanted to make the most of it. As I neared the edge where there was…
This time last year, the month of June seduced us with her warm, inviting temperatures to head outdoors – worry-free – for large gatherings, vacation travel, and other fun-in-the-sun activities. This year we’ll try to enjoy our summertime fun under a heavy cloud of caution while still adhering to state-mandated six-feet guidelines, and accessorizing our…
A few years ago, before I put distance between me and stress, two things happened: the stress boiled over and already strained relationships; and I discovered running. Well, actually I became a runner months before; it was the RELIEF in running that I discovered. It was unbelievable! Between lacing up my sneaks (unable to think…
BREAKFAST KALE: I love kale. But this isn’t a kale post – it’s a NO FOOD GUILT post. Nutrition-wise, yesterday Wednesday, April 29th sucked for me. I worked an eight-hour hospital night shift the night before, (11p to 7:30 a.m.), didn’t take any food from home with me (no meal prep), and had to go…
Do you love cheesy as much as I love cheesy? I’ll melt cheese on just about anything. ( Right now, it’s 12:30 a.m. and I’m craving cheesy grits in the morning.) In the eight years that I’ve been dairy-free, I’ve tried various brand-name processed cheeses – Chao is my hands-down, melty, delectable favorite – but…
I’d need more than ten fingers to count the number of times someone has told me that they love cheese too much to give up dairy. Actually, shhhh, quiet as it’s kept, I told myself those same words before I became a vegan (and gave up dairy cheese). Now, I’m not a vegan anymore BUT…
I’m a healthcare worker (nurse support tech in Baltimore’s GBMC hospital), so distancing from people with pneumonia, the flu, and tuberculosis is nothing new. In the hospital, we gown, mask and glove up for the aforementioned conditions as well as, MRSA, C-diff, HIV and other health concerns to ensure that we can continue to care…
It’s almost 2020! A whole new year and a whole new decade (at least that’s what I thought until I read a Farmer’s Almanac article declaring that a new decade starts with a year ending in one and ends with a year ending in zero). Sorry, I digress. You can read the article here and…
“1-2-3, lift!” Directly across from the 19-year-old young man, bent at my knees and using proper body mechanics, I lifted my side of the heavy wooden pallet. I’ve survived 20-plus years of certified nursing assistant (CNA) work with no back/knee issues lifting, transferring and moving heavy patients either with a two-person lift or alone, so…
I no longer accept smiles as an indication that someone is okay. The weekend I visited my sister and brother-in-law, he was all smiles. Circumstances in his life had improved, he appeared happy with his involvement and responsibilities in the church, and all the time I was there I saw no signs that he was…
Change Grow SHINE! 