1. Perfectly Calibrated
It doesn’t get any better than this…
….and it seems WE’RE DONE HERE.
2. Now That’s Life (Experience)
Our daughter attained a PRESS PASS for High School State Wrestling IN THE GREATEST STATE FOR WRESTLING.
She was nervous to navigate the role, and wound up livin’ the high life for 4 days. Members of the press took her under their wing (thank you!), saved her a seat each day and shared their candy with her (she joked that she did in fact accept candy from strangers). In return, she taught them teenage slang and pointed out a gang symbol that they should maybe keep off the airwaves.
While at hotel breakfast, wrestling was being featured on the news and Em casually said, “Hey, that guy (the sportscaster) is one of my friends.”
And, she captured a moment that will forever be one of the greatest moments in her boyfriend’s life:
3. That’s a Wrap
I need to close the door on a few of my Wednesday Wellness Missions because my brain space is at capacity. Thus…
My 7-day average HRV now ranges from 35 ms to 47 ms (instead of 32 ish ms). I haven’t been in the red or orange since mid November and had a stretch of 50-52 ms in late December. I feel like I am better managing stress, sleep, my training load and hydration. Two major contributing factors need to be mentioned as well – I started and regularly float (stress reduction) and spent the first 6 weeks of this year hyper focused on my physical well-being. All in all, a successful mission with numbers pointing to a longer lifespan!
Score — 8 (still room for improvement)
I am here to safely report — I am less of a twit!
Score — 8 (I said “less”; not “not”)
I’m clearly not done here, and will keep practicing, but mission completion was defined as: when difficult thoughts no longer run the show or dictate my behavior or mood, but rather, run through me instead of taking up residency. And I feel like I’ve met this threshold.
Score — 7.5
I overcame my dislike of cold water enough to have given this mission a solid go. And have decided to leave it behind because I’m not sold on the benefits. I think my immunity was lessened instead of heightened because I started with a severe cold 36 hours after my last cold plunge. The endorphin kick may have been there, but was short lived. Any combat to depressive thoughts was combatted with thoughts of having to cold plunge. My weight is the same so my metabolism didn’t skyrocket to the moon. I do believe the inflammation was lessened but there are less loathed means to lessen inflammation. I will continue to occasionally end a shower with a blast of cold water because it seemed effective in resetting a wandering or stressed mind. And if in Finland, I’d happily take my place in the line to ice swim because you know—when in
RomeFinland!Score — 5
4. Safe Haven
I needed to start swimming again because….
5. Now You Know
A friend had peppered me with interview questions for a podcast, but never asked “something she doesn’t know about me” and I just came across these notes on my phone. And I’m trying to clean up the notes on my phone so I’ll tell you:
- I take showers in the dark.
- I am tone deaf, but will sing out loud when no one can hear me sing out loud.
- I wish I could break dance (and once started a video tutorial series and can do a few moves).
- If I could do it all over again, I would maybe choose culinary school, architecture or computer programming (video game design).
- I would swim laps in the nude every morning if I had a log cabin in the woods with a heated indoor/outdoor pool.
6. Yes Have I Ever
I needed to start writing a comedy skit for when/if I ever find myself in a time/place that calls for it:
When you are a grown a$$ adult and get yelled at by Disney employees for running in the park. 🙋♀️
More than once in the same day. 🙋♀️
More than twice in the same day. 🙋♀️
When your best friend always gives the “I don’t know her” look, but keeps up at a safe “nope, not with her” distance, but then catches up to join you at the front of the line. 🙋♀️
When you are strong enough to choose loyalty 🙋♀️ and love yourself for it 🙋♀️ over the previous version of you whose ego needed to be rubbed……raw. 🤣
When you are in a yoga class wearing loose fitting athletic shorts and a cotton t-shirt and choose to leave your shirt on over your sports bra because you notice yourself questioning the moment when image starts to matter more than the action (in this poem specifically). 🙋♀️
And because you realize—uncomfortably—that part of you is wondering if anyone might notice the definition in your abs or the fact that you could, theoretically, run up a wall and land a backflip off of it. 🙋♀️
When you realize that your ego still needs stroking because that last sentence was a total flex. 🙋♀️
7. I’ve Got Connections
And, one more note on the yoga scene….because I’d rather be connectable than impressive (see #17).
8. Am I?
I hope that people think this when they look at me because who wouldn’t want people to think this when they look at them?!?
9. Closing Credits
I appreciate you.
And I appreciate your readership. 😘
Kristine Joy, Writer 
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