The Time I Almost Swallowed A Bumble Bee

Thursday, October 27, 2011

One of the routes I walk regularly for my training is through a new neighborhood with a lot of landscaping. A few of the blocks have lots of flowers and there are usually bees all over the bushes. Last week the bees reminded me of the time one flew in my mouth.

Back in junior high, my school went on a field trip to Magic Mountain. We had just arrived and were heading through the gates. I turned around to say something to one of my friends and the bee flew right in. It couldn't have been timed more perfectly. If I had turned around one second earlier, the bee probably would have flown around me. One second later and it might have gotten tangled in my hair.

'Bumble Bee' photo (c) 2008, Harald Hoyer - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Anyway, this was not a worker bee. I had a bumble bee in my mouth. It couldn't have been in there for more than two seconds, but talk about panic!

Oh my god! That's a bee!

In my mouth!

I can feel the legs!

I can feel the wings!

It's fuzzy!

I didn't know what to do. Should I open my mouth and hope it flies back out? What if goes down my throat? What if I swallow it? Will I get stung in my esophagus? Am I allergic to bees? What if my tongue swells up?

I didn't want to push the bee out with my tongue or try to cough it out. I started to freak out and it flew back out. I tell you, no ride I went on that day was as terrifying as those two seconds of having a disoriented bumble bee in my mouth.

My friends asked what was going on because I was dancing around with my tongue out and I was wiping it and spitting in case there was a wayward wing or leg still in there. It was a horrid experience. I've got chicken skin remembering it.

Now it's your turn. Has anything accidentally ended up into your mouth? 

(That sounded way more dirty than I intended it to!)

Spa Celebration

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Last Thursday night I went to the spa. It was heavenly. I got to meet new bloggers, had mini treatments and gorged myself on lemon bars. It was a great way to celebrate making my goal for the 3 day! I got the email late Wednesday night.


I was really hoping I could head into the month of November not having to think about raising money anymore and now I can. I got rubbed and scrubbed in complete bliss because I was able to put this part of the 3 day experience out of mind.

My neighbors have been so helpful with my fund raising. I posted a flier asking them to save their recycling for me rather than putting it out on trash day. I made over $50 from taking it in. This will definitely be part of my strategy for next year.


Once again, I owe my mom a huge thank you. I appreciate everyone who donated to the walk but my mom goes above and beyond by asking her network of friends and co-workers to donate to me once she's met her goal.

For me, raising the money each year has been the most challenging part of the 3 day. It takes a lot of hustle to get the funds in on time. Getting the email letting you know you've made it is such a fantastic feeling.

There are still so many people who have yet to make their goals. If you see a Tweet, post, email or Facebook update asking for donations, please consider giving. People look at my donation page and see $200 donations and think their $5 or $10 won't make a difference. IT DOES. Every wave started as a ripple.

Thank you again for all your support!

Thank you to the Hilton Mission Bay and Blue Marble Spa for providing the treatments. It was such a relaxing evening!

Think vs Do

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

 Is it better to be a think-er or a do-er? Does it matter?

You know what I have a ton of? Ideas. I have scraps of paper, sticky notes, notebooks and (now that I have a smart phone) voice memos full of ideas.

'Thinker' photo (c) 2011, Søren Storm Hansen - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
I'll get a random thought in my head and if I don't write it down immediately, *poof* it's gone.

I have filled pages with titles like Blog Post Topics, Blog Makeover, Rebranding Ideas, 3 Day Post Ideas, Ad Partnerships and Client Projects. I really like the process of brainstorming, be it to solve a problem or start something from the ground up.

What I'm not so good at, is taking those ideas and turning them into actions. I read somewhere the line that "if you don't act on your ideas someone else will." This is true. My mom was pushing our late dog around in a stroller long before they became trendy. She swears she could have been millionaire. I've had an idea for an app in my head for ages but haven't done anything about it because I have no clue where to start.

'Nike SB Dunk High Premium Skunk' photo (c) 2010, Kevin Wu - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/Maybe I have issues with this because the "doing" part is usually the hardest. I'm not afraid of hard work, but the "doing" is usually not as fun, too. I like the creative process and I have no problem collaborating and sharing. Just last night on a training walk, I told a woman with a great fund raising craft several different ways she can get the word out and sell more of her items. She didn't know some of what I suggested was even possible.

I love that I was able to expose her to new things. She could possibly surpass her fund raising goal because of my suggestions. I walked away feeling really good. I wonder tough, would someone who is a do-er have taken it even a few steps further? What would those steps be? And to what benefit?

Are you a thinker or a do-er? Does a person have to be both? Is there a way to become both if you're only one?

Knee Socks as Armwarmers | Works for Me Wednesday {vlog}

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

UPDATE: So, apparently the audio isn't working. I can't figure out why I can hear the original and the edited versions, but nothing in the uploaded one. I'm working on it!

UPDATE 2: I started from scratch with a new video. What a hassle! 

Hi there! Long time no see. As usual, many reasons but no excuses. Today I decided to do a quick vlog. I threw my hands up and said, "screw it." I figured if I waited until my hair looked nice, the house was clean, I put makeup on, I had something important to say etc. etc. I'd never blog or vlog again.

So, here I am showing you one piece of my 3 Day gear. I've been wearing these arm warmers lately and getting lots of comments and questions from people I train with.


 
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