I love my porch.
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I love my porch.
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- Using my ADHD superpower of hyperfocus for good – namely obsessing over a creative problem until I came up with a creative solution for a work project 💪🏻
- Texting stay-in dinner prepping and plans with my fiancée 🍽
- Remembering that I’m at my best when focused more on process instead of end product (be that a personal goal, work project or target marathon)
- Informal group runs begin Tuesday evening 🏃🏼
- A running friend group-texting pictures of his newborn grandson and his other months-old grandson 👼🏼
- Receiving multiple updates from my mother and sister about my almost-three-year-old niece using the potty. I loved the pride they exuded about as much as my niece’s developmental milestone 😍
- The number of old friends who I have not spoken with in a long time whom have contacted me lately
- Daydreaming about summer activities
- The return of spring temps, if only for a couple of days
- Coming home late after a long day of work and still finding the desire to write this list
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- Letting a friend pick the post-work run location and then accosting them for picking such a hilly route
- Creating To Do lists
- Constructive feedback from coworkers and friends
- Catching-up conversations over post-run beers while sitting outside
- Cheap sushi
- Conversations of substance that are both terrifying and fulfilling at the same time
- Watching my niece owning the stage, dancing and singing her heart out as no one watched. Her “stage” just happened to be framed by the open doors of the shed at my parents’ permanent campsite
- All of the sunshine
- Options and happenstance
- Feeling like I’m planning and moving forward with purpose
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Me cooking breakfast on Mother’s Day - Spending time with my mom on Mother’s Day (I wouldn’t be here without her)
- Beers at MadTree brewing and deep conversation with my fianceé
- Unexpected invites to run from friends I have not heard from in quite some time
- The weekly “How to ADHD” video podcast (Assertive Communication, say what?!)
- Organizing help tools (I hate organizing)
- Lots. Of. Sleep.
- The view from my kitchen window as I sit and type this
- Cool, early spring temps that I’ll miss in a couple of weeks
- The people who inspired me to write these daily gratitude lists
- Not necessarily not caring about certain things, but gaining perspective and in turn, identifying what’s really important while moving forward
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Rooted Yoga - A new space to find my peaceful place (h/t Rooted Yoga)
- Learning how to fly
- Honestly, thank God it’s Friday
- Wendy’s Son of Baconator, large order of fries and a Coke Zero
- Anti-anxiety medication (brutal truth here)
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Long talks during short rides
- Buying a ticket for an upcoming screening of “Say Anything,” followed by Q&A session with actor John Cusack (I shouldn’t have but I did anyway)
- Looking forward to a quiet evening in and an early Saturday morning run along a scenic recreational trail
- Getting back on track and following through with these daily gratitude lists
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John A. Roebling Bridge, May 8, 2019 - Standing in the middle of the John A. Roebling Bridge and taking pictures
- Running a segment of the Riverfront Commons Trail for the first time
- Finding a budgeting/financial planning tool that works for me
- Ridiculous group-text chains
- This quote: “We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty”
- Binge watching episodes of the new “Twilight Zone” hosted by Jordan Peele
- Signing up for a Yin Yoga session at Rooted Yoga in Covington, Kentucky
- Occasional rain showers followed by partly cloudy skies
- Being just a little more comfortable in my own skin
- Singing “You Can Call Me Al” along with Paul Simon in the drive to work
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- A ridiculous amount of birthday well-wishes
- Longtime friendships made while running
- The ability to run four races for a total of 23.5 miles in three days leading up to and including the day I turned 43
- Having an inspiring individual and heart transplant recipient cheer me on during one of those races when I needed it most
- Enjoying sunshine and patio beers with friends
- Hearing my nearly three-year-old niece’s laughter
- A new pair of running shoes
- Witnessing the awesomeness of Cincinnati’s running community on full display
- Cheering on may of those runners chasing their goals and hopefully providing solace for those who came up short pursuing them
- Getting back into a regular routine
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The Taste of Cincinnati kicked off along Fifth Street, Downtown, Cincinnati Saturday May 26, 2018. Detail shot of Pompilios Tiramisu Cannoli. Photo by Joseph Fuqua II for WCPO
- Pre-boiled hard boiled eggs – Sometimes, I just don’t have the time to boil fresh eggs.
- Audiobooks – I listened to Meb Keflezighi’s 26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career during my morning commute.
- My public library system – I was able to check out Meb’s audiobook through the Libby smartphone app with my Kenton County Public Library card (Support your local library!).
- Inspiring interviews – I get to hear and share the story of a local man who has trained to run his first marathon after receiving a heart transplant last fall. I’ll share the story here as soon as it hits the air and online.
- My own running – The butterflies I’m starting to feel as the Flying Pig Marathon weekend approaches. I’m running a one-mile sprint, 10K, 5K and half-marathon over three days. It’s called the 3-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese.
- Another chance – I’ve set a few new personal health and financial goals. I only partially met some of those goals yesterday. I’m grateful for the chance to try to meet them again today.
- Smart Planner Pro – Related to those goals, I’m glad I persisted in using the Smart Planner Pro journal that I purchased last week. Using it felt a bit overwhelming at first, but now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, it is really helping me stay on task.
- Dressing up – I wore a pair of black dress pants, a blue-and-white checkered button-down shirt and black dress shoes to work. A co-worker said I looked like I lost weight and I feel more confident thanks to what I’m wearing.
- Free food – I get to sample a bunch of free desserts as a guest judge for this thing called Best of Taste, which is part of the annual Taste of Cincinnati food festival held each Memorial Day weekend in the Queen City. (Hopefully, I still look slimmer after eating all those sweets 😋)
- Morning texts from Tirza – Around 9 a.m. each morning my fianée texts me a positive good morning message. Today’s text, “I hope your day is good! I still love you even though you didn’t get the Justin Timberlake May meme.” I still don’t understand the JT May meme.
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The photo was taken at eastern-most end of Friendship Park during a mid-April run in 2019. - Running through Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park after work on a lovely spring day
- Lazy Sundays with Tirza
- An Everything bagel with fresh avocado, lightly flavored with coarse sea salt for breakfast
- Texting with friends early in the morning about plans for participating in the Flying Pig Marathon weekend
- Running into a former work colleague whom I respect
- Second, third, fourth and sometimes fifth chances
- The one Diet Mountain Dew that I drink to kickstart my Monday work morning
- The location of my cubicle near the giant bay windows at work
- Sunshine coming through those windows
- The laughter of those who sit near me
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Gratitude in Review 2018
Looking back, here are eight things I’m grateful for in 2018.
1. Tirza
I’ve been pretty shameless sharing with everyone how lucky I am to have started dating Tirza in 2018.
We briefly met once before she agreed to go on a date with me. I sent her a Facebook friend request after bumping into her at a running event in late November 2017.
I didn’t even know if she was single and it took me two months (and a couple of drinks) to muster up the nerve to ask her out.
I was obviously scared She agreed to go on grab a slice with me on Friday, Feb. 9, National Pizza Day. She promptly text me the day after that first date asking if I wanted to grab a beer at a local brewery the following Monday. I’ve been pinching myself ever since.
2. New friends
I also met a great new group of running friends because of my relationship with Tirza. I experienced “Donna loops,” was invited into homes for post-run eats and drinks, and endured some gentle ribbing for training with a different marathon running group.
3. And friendships that endure
The new friends only added to the rather large cast of characters already in my life. I’ve known many of the people pictured above for years through running. We tell jokes and occasionally discuss the rough patches we each experience in our lives.
Outside of running, I also got to spend a weekend with an old college roommate in November. We visited a comic book convention, played D&D with his 8-year-old son and just fell back into the comfortable rhythm built on two decades of friendship.
4. Speaking of running …
Even though I felt burned out at times, I ended the year on an up note when it comes to running. I currently feel re-energized and ready to race in 2019.
Here are some stats from 2018:
5. Family
I made some great memories with my mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew this year. Tirza even impressed my tight-knit group of weirdos with her eating habits and that one time she forgot to meet me at my house for my birthday dinner with them . We all wrapped up the year with great Christmas together.
6. Meeting a few famous people
I was given the opportunity to chair two panels at the Cincinnati Comic Expo in September. I met “Doctor Strange” actor Benedict Wong and Clark Gregg, the man who plays “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” Director Phil Colson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
7. Counting blessings
While saddened to learn of the passing of comic book creator and legend Stan Lee, I was also reminded how lucky I was to have met him in 2016. His passing also was the first of many that reminded me how important it is to appreciate the interactions I get to have with others. In more than a few instances, 2018 proved to be a sad year for those we lost.
8. Pushed out of my comfort zone
And finally, as uncomfortable a process as it has been, I am glad life still presents opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone. I don’t think that I’m the best in front of a camera but work this year has made me get over myself and become more confident in who I am.
