November 20 2016 True Grit

I ventured into this week still fighting a fierce battle with the flu. I was starting to feel like Boo Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird--a shut-in, peering through the blinds when I heard something outside, skin looking a bit too pasty. I was lucky to get a last minute appointment with my doctor, who gave me some medicine to get rid of it.
The highlight of this week was on Friday. One of the organizers of the New Year's 5K (put on by the SLC Track Club) invited me to be part of the club's yearly banquet. They talked of their events this past year, and of events to come, and gave out the year's awards. I was to be a mystery speaker of sorts toward the end of the banquet, telling my story and sharing what motivates me. This group was awesome. Hearing about the things they have accomplished as a group as well as individually was inspiring. I was lucky to be a part of it. They were incredibly supportive of my decision to attempt this 5K after what I've been through, and gave me an added bit of motivation. After I finished, one of the organizers stood up, thanked me, and talked to the group about 'grit'. Grit, she said, is defined as courage and resolve; strength of character. Then she added that I am a person that definitely has Grit.
That may have been one of the finest compliments I've ever received.

I left that night knowing how much I need this race mentally. It's a little carrot dangled in front of me to keep me going.

Men's

Women's

On that note, my sister came up with a fantastic idea for those that can't be in Salt Lake to run the race with me. She's getting shirts made that say "Unbreakable" on them, and is petitioning people to buy a shirt for $15 and run their own 5K on New year's Eve, wherever they live. The hashtag #backtobecki2017 is on the shirt as well. Those doing their own 5K can take pictures wherever they are and tag it with that hashtag for me to see, to give me a little extra motivation when I feel like giving up. I love this idea.

If you donate $15 to my gofundme page, Becki GoFundMe, and add your shirt size and gender, we will send you a shirt. Proceeds go to covering the cost of the shirt, and whatever is left is donated to my page for assistance with bills and buying a car.

And here is the link for the race again, for those that are in Salt Lake City:
Beat the New Year 2017
Use coupon DARKPARK to save $5 on the race!

And this week's song:

We're On Our Way by Radial Face

November 13 2016 Musings

This week has been one for the books. Or maybe I'd like to forget it altogether.

I caught the flu on Sunday, after having spent a busy weekend with friends and family. I suppose it was inevitable. It's clear that my immune system is working overtime right now...no extra soldiers to fight off seasonal sicknesses. Medicines, cough syrups, natural concoctions, essential oils, magic potions...nothing seemed to make it better. But flu body aches on top of broken bone body aches; coughing with a broken sternum and broken neck--waxing dramatic, I wanted to die.

Tuesday was election day. Ugh. I'm not much for politics, but I am one for human kindness. The effects of this election were a bit disheartening. Not because of who was elected, but because of how people reacted. I agree with Mike Rowe when he said, "Despising our candidates publicly is very different than despising the people who vote for them." All I can do is have hope that things will change for the better.

So with the unpleasantness of the flu and election aftershocks, I came into the end of the week.

Thursday was my birthday. Another year older. Life just keeps moving forward. This birthday was different though. I have a resolve to live this year more than I ever have before, because, you know, I almost died and whatnot. So many talk of the country being doomed now with the outcome of this election. So much nastiness on social media. I am all for standing up for what you believe in, but not at the expense of hurting others. So all I can do is make sure I am doing my best.
This year, I'll believe what I believe and let you believe what you believe, and will still like you, okay? Life is too short to not live well and full--experiencing the world and all it has to offer, and accepting human kind by being kind.

And I'll leave you with that. Sunday musings of Becki.

This is a two song kind of week. So here you go:

Cough Syrup by Young the Giant

Changes by Langhorne Slim & The Law

November 6 2016 Keepin My Head Above Water

I've always loved the water. I used to tell people I wanted to be a mermaid as my grown-up profession. I've been doing a lot of physical therapy in the pool because I'm so comfortable in water. I used to surf quite a bit when I lived in California and Hawaii. During trials in my life, my dad would use the ocean as a metaphor: "Becki, there are gonna be waves that you can't catch--waves that wipe you out, making you feel like you might drown. What do you do? Does that stop you from getting back on your board and paddling out again? Not a chance. You keep going for the next wave. You've got this. Paddle like you want it."
This has been on my mind this week. Rough waters, high surf advisory, whitewater rapids. You get the idea.Wednesday was the dreaded spine doctor appointment--the day I found out if my neck needed surgery, or if I could start the process of weaning off the neck brace. My stomach was in knots that morning, but I left the doctor's office with good news!
I saw my neck that day for the first time in three months....and it was weird. All baby soft skin and far too skinny to belong to a healthy human. I could tell how weak it was as well. It's hard to realize the real weight of your head unless you've had a cervical collar doing the heavy lifting for three months. I officially know what it's like to be a bobble head.

I'll be keeping it off for a few hours a day for the next month, mainly when I'm sitting idly. And was told to keep it off during pool PT, as the water weightlessness would be good for it. I'm all smiles this week, letting the current keep pushing me forward.

In other news, Halloween came and went this week. One of my three costumes was the apropos Crash Test Dummy. Can't take credit for the idea, but it was smashing (pun definitely intended). I also wore jeans for the first time in three months this week. How was it, you ask? Constricting. I may need to wean off the pjs as well as the neck brace.

Crash Test Dummy for Halloween

Here's my neck brace-free neck. So skinny and weak!

This week's song comes from an older favorite band....

Swim by Jack's Mannequin