Chicago Walmart Takeaways

Sure, I’m getting a little Biblical but don’t let that stop you. Today’s title refers to Micah 6:8 and if you’ve been around churches, you’ve probably heard it. 

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The last article talked about a recent trip to Chicago. I was the driver for three young women who celebrated their birthdays and graduations with this short excursion. That created time for me to revisit a couple of life’s milestones and to drive-by some of Chicago’s newest sites.

Your Emails are Rude

So. It happened.

“Enough already! You need to respond”, my mind speaks loudly between my ears. 

I am a good listener, and I am tuned in and listening now!

• The first email asked a question.
• The response offered my answer.
• The email in question refuted my reply in, let’s just say, no uncertain terms.

"Then why ask the question in the first place?" my inner voice screeched. I did not reply to the email in question. If I am going to escalate, I’m going to do it with actual words. And so, it happened.

In the same way (no uncertain terms) I voiced my irritation not only with the current crises but also with the inclusion of all that came before. Yes, I had stacked up a good number of offenses in the ‘Let it go’ category but as it turns out, that location has a sub-category called ‘But do not forget’.

It was a difficult conversation but amicably resolved with promises on both sides to do better. 

The Octopus and the Shark

Sandals and a Stick is designed to keep me focused and maybe provide some examples of how I see the world around me.  It is designed to remind me of how I should live while recognizing God’s gift of life.

Since we have only recently begun to explore our environment again, the only experiential input for the past number of months consisted primarily of passive electronic stimulus.

Although I am still not wandering around much, I visited the traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial last weekend.  This personal tour proved more than adequate in producing emotions that bubbled up from deep within.

Perhaps the excursion to the "Wall That Heals" had exposed a few raw nerves preparing me for the viewing of Short Term 12 (2013 Movie).

Be The Bucket Brigade

I’ve decided it’s time to lose a few pounds.  Actually, I decided that a long time ago but I’m finally getting around to spending time on my feet attempting change.

There’s a mall not far from the office.  During lunch, I’ve been trying wander the hallways at a ‘brisk’ pace a few times per week.  Burning calories is the goal, but it's a sad place to be, actually.

I researched the mall's history.  Someone (actually many of them) spent a small fortune (This, a relative term as small doesn’t resonate with me.  Huge might be closer to truth) on this retail structure.

Efforts to create a scaled-down Mall of America never saw success.  Currently, with few exceptions, storefronts remain empty and boarded over.

Weigh-in

About this time in 2013, I lost nearly 50 pounds!  Like everyone who does something like this, I promised that those pounds would never come back.

Like everyone else who does something like this, I lied.  30 are back!  But I'm going after those "extras" and I will lose them . . . again.

I heard that weighing yourself first thing in the morning is best.  Consistency is important.  In my wisdom, I added "daily" thinking that more is better.  Well, it is, right?

I now read that watching progress, or lack thereof, on a micro level is neither encouraging nor motivating.  Weekly is the way to go.