Bring on the Woo!

I had dinner tonight with a friend that I served on a community board with a couple of years ago. It was great to visit with her about work, she is on the physician recruitment side at the other large health system in town, and I am on the physician clinic operations side at our health system. We had a great time catching up on personal and professional topics, and it was nice to be able to "talk shop" with someone about the challenges and rewards in health care, particularly now that I'm in a new position within our system. I was talking about being the "newbie" in my area, and my struggles of learning just how and where I fit on the team. My comment was that I bring a lot of interpersonal strengths to the team but I am definitely learning about the finance and technology portions of clinic operations management. My background and inherent strengths are more geared towards team building, employee satisfaction, and communication.

Her reply was "Yes, but you bring the 'woo' to the team, remember!?" When she and I served on the board together a couple of years ago, one of the first things the president coordinated was a team building exercise based on the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths", by Marcus Buckingham. As we prepared for our year of leadership, we each took a strengths profile, and learned how our different personality types interacted with others in our group.

After my dinner with my friend tonight, I came home and pulled out my book to review it. I've taken a couple other personality profiles during my years in leadership, and all of them have profiled me in a similar fashion. This particular profiling system had 34 key strengths, and out of these my five core strengths were:

• Communication - you like to explain, describe, host, speak in public and write. This is your Communication theme at work.
• Empathy - you can sense the emotions of those around you. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with their perspective, but you ancipate the need... you help people find the right phrases to express their feelings... for all of these reasons other people are drawn to you.
• Input - you are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information- words, facts, books and quotations, or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, etc. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories, but to add more information to your archives.
• Positivity - you are generous with praise, quick to smile and always on the lookout for the positive in a situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass was as full as yours seems to be. You inject drama into every project, celebrate every achievement, find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital.
• Woo - "woo" stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them, want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport.

I had to laugh, because so much of this is unequivocally ME! From a personal standpoint, Dave always likes to tease me that I'm "all about the party" - I love meeting people and talking to them. We initially discussed the option of just renting a house with our friends in Honduras, but he knows that I'm all about the resort life, meeting new people and connecting with them. And I am definitely an "information gatherer", both in work and in my personal life. I don't collect tangible items, it is the intangible information that intrigues me... give me some good non-fiction or a night of music trivia and I'm thrilled! (Garry Dykes, you're still the man, I aspire to be half the music trivia guru you are!)

But from a professional perspective it was also nice to review all of this tonight, and find some encouragement in these positive traits and strengths that I bring to my new job... it has been a long and exhausting week, with many things that were challenging for me. I had a couple of financial discussions with physicians, and numerous other obstacles to tackle this week, and I'm so glad it is Friday, and I'm looking forward to a couple of days of relaxation with my family. TGIF, people!

Countdown

Four weeks from Friday we start our vacation, a.k.a. my 40th birthday trip - not that I'm counting the days down or anything. I'm very excited - we know it is going to be a different trip than our wedding trip in Jamaica, as far as the type of the resort. Most people that I tell about our upcoming vacation have never heard of Roatan, with the exception of divers, most of them are familiar, as the island is one of the top 10 dive locations in the world.

Our friends Shawn and Lucas have been there two times in the last 18 months, and the pics on her blog look awesome. I pulled her blog up the other night (it is a private site, so no sharing it on here!) and let Dave read all about their week there in December. She's such a great storyteller, and that trip was no exception - so many fabulous pictures and stories of their time in Roatan, it was exciting for us to see all that they did, and know we'll be right there very soon, enjoying the beach, the relaxation and the diving.

Here's a link to the resort website, Bananarama Dive Resort . The accomodations look simple but clean, the resort is small and the owners are actively involved in day to day resort operations. We've checked out all the ratings on Trip Advisor, looked at the feedback from other guests on there (both good and bad reviews, but mostly good) and I feel like we know what to expect. That seems to be the main issue with any negative reviews - people thought they were getting a different experience than what they had - were upset about bugs, or the fact that the resort is on generator power, or that there is only one "fancy" restaurant on the resort, or that things are usually quiet on the resort by 10 or 11 at night. But we know these things going in, our expectations are reasonable, and we're ready to relax and have fun with our friends Rick and Jan!

I'm taking my written certification test for SCUBA this Saturday afternoon, so busy reviewing for that this week. Paige will be home for spring break starting Saturday, so we're looking forward to seeing her and having a nice weekend with all three kiddos. I'm also going to have to go pull all my summer clothes out of storage, and determine a very small but versatile amount of clothing to take on vacation. Our diving gear (fins, masks, wet suits and Dave's vest) will be one of our two checked bags, and we're going to try to make all of our clothes (and my toiletries) fit in the other suitcase and carry-on. I always overpack, so this will be a new challenge for me, to keep it pared down to minimum. Better start now, only four weeks to get this all sorted out- ha!

Second-Guessing: A Personal Hangup

Here's our newly renovated game room:

(Still have to paint that lateral file cabinet on the right)

It isn't quite the same as having a huge basement, but we're still pretty happy with the transformation of our third bedroom into a second living area - and no, the new carpet isn't pink, but it does look that way in the picture. Speaking of pictures, I certainly wasn't looking for one of The Godfather, but I couldn't resist when I saw it. This is one of those movies that guys love, and Dave is no exception. Seems like it is always on TV, and I know if Dave sees it on the menu, we'll be watching it. So it was a perfect choice for the room; Jace thinks it is so cool, he now has it as his wallpaper on his phone.

Finishing this room has been fun, and has made me reflect on one of my most frustrating personality traits - and find some satisfaction on having a bit of success with it. Hi, my name is Nancy and I'm a procrastinator. I regularly second-guess my decisions and change my mind. Not about everything, and amazingly, not even really about BIG things. But there are some smaller, less important things that tend to waylay me every time. Looking back on past projects (home projects, not so much at work) it is easy to see my M.O. - if I'm not sure how something will turn out, then I just wait... and wait... and wait. Case in point is the hanging of pictures.

Thinking back on the four houses I've lived in since college, I'm embarrassed to say that I can recall unhung pictures in each home - tucked in corners or closets, or leaning against bare walls for months, and even years. All because I couldn't decide how and where to hang them; so the best decision was - well, no decision. It definitely causes anxiety for me - I mean, what if I hang something on this wall over here, but THEN I find another picture that would go better in this spot? Then I'll have to remove the anchor, patch, repaint, etc. Nope, better just wait until I have all the pictures I'm going to want in this room, and THEN I'll arrange and hang them.

But this time was different. Now, that's not to say that there wasn't some indecisiveness. Just ask Dave, who patiently accompanied me to look at art to hang over the sofa in our living room, after painting and changing our color scheme in that area. I bought one picture, then found another piece at a different store, dragged him there to look at it, almost bought the second one (at the cash register, debit card in hand), but then decided that the first was a better fit. And then I hung it, without having a plan for all the other walls. (Ok, he hung it the first time, I decided it was too high, and then lowered it myself when he was traveling the next week.)

But for the most part, I did just make some decisions and then go with them. The living room isn't quite complete yet, but it is getting there; and more importantly, there are NO pictures leaning against the walls, they're all hung. Success!

From Dating to Duct Tape

Ah, the roller coaster of adolescence. Last time I wrote about my 12-year-old's comments/plans on how he is going to be dating next year. Now this week, he's back to his almost-obsession with making things out of duct tape. Dave and I have joked about giving him duct tape for Christmas and birthdays, and I think he'd be thrilled.

Check out the messenger bag he made:

He and a friend made the front part at school in art, and then he finished rigging it with strap, etc and is now using it for his backpack. Creative kid!

We've all enjoyed a quiet weekend at home with the kids, we're watching season 3 of the TV show 24 on Netflix. I've finished week four of scuba lessons, and Dave and I headed to the scuba pool yesterday so I could practice putting all my gear together (scuba is an "equipment intensive" hobby, and lots of things to make sure are correct before getting into the water). We spent some time at the bottom of the pool, working on neutral bouyancy (finding the place where we were hovering, not going up or down)and clearing the water out of my mask, taking it off underwater, etc. I'm feeling more comfortable each time I'm in the water, and looking forward to our trip to Honduras in six weeks.

Now back to 24, and finishing up laundry before the week starts.

Growing Pains (for Mom)

"It is easier to floss with barbed wire than to admit you like someone in middle school." - This quote from a popular teen book is one of several etched on a glass wall in the teen section of the library near our home. Jace and I head there every couple of weeks to check out a fresh stack of books, and the quote is somewhat of a running joke with us now. I like to read it aloud and rib him a little each time we're there, and in turn he gives me the Oh, Mom look and eyeroll that I'm sure I'll be seeing more of as he gets older.

Not that I want to embarrass him (although at times it is hard to resist) but I know that no matter what I do at some point, he'll be at that stage where he's too cool to be seen hanging out with his parents and (gasp!) actually enjoying it. I'll just have to develop thick skin, breathe deeply and pick my battles, until he's oh, 22 or 23 and realizes that I actually do know some things about life. I remember that transition myself, both thinking that my parents just didn't get it, and then realizing that they did and appreciating what they had to say.

Lately Jace has gotten interested in skateboarding, I think as much for the socializing with friends as the actual sport itself. For the last several Friday nights our mom/son Friday night ritual has been kaput and I have been relegated to the position of chaffeur for his trip to and from the skate park here in town. I was a little leery of letting him stay there with his friends for the evening, having never let him hang out anywhere without me or someone else around. But it checked out okay, and is well supervised. I've chatted with the manager several times when I bring Jace, and hang out for a bit before leaving.

In the four or five times he's been there, I've not seen a single girl - this isn't like the roller rink when I was growing up, where we went to skate but also to giggle with our friends and meet boys. No, these kids are there to skate, with some pretty steep ramps, bowls, and a multitude other foreign terms that I've heard rattled off in the back seat on the way home. Thankfully there are several small ramps and areas that seem much more managable for Jace and his friends, who are all novices to the whole skateboarding scene.

Another important thing to note is that apparently (hopefully) skater clothes are no longer those baggy jeans/shorts with the waist halfway down the legs. The style now seems to be the "skinny jeans" with t-shirts and/or flannel long-sleeve shirts, which is decidedly better than the baggy look, but still not the most flattering. Clothing choices, though, would fall under one of those "pick your battles" categories, and not something I'm going to fight unless it becomes something of a necessity.

One thing that I have learned recently is that apparently girls are on his mind, even if he's not seeing any of them on Friday nights at the skate park. A couple of weeks ago he informed me on the way home from the park, "Mom, next year I'll be 13 and I'm going to start dating". Uh wait, stop the car, what!?!? Further discussion on this subject revealed that "dating" did not mean that he expected to be going out to the movies with a girl next year. "Dating" will mean that he has one girl that he will be texting, talking to, holding hands in school (or maybe not, I'm not sure what the rule on PDA is now in middle school?). A little more do-able for this mom, I think I can handle that.

Taking the Plunge

That dreaded milestone birthday is quickly approaching, the big 4-0 in late April. I'm actually not feeling bad at all about it though, which is really, really nice. Part of it is just coming to terms with some things in my life over the past couple of years, and being at a place where I am really, truly happy with myself and my life. Pretty awesome feeling. And, the other part is that I share the same birthday with my hubby - which has made it extra special. Plus, he's a few years (I won't say how many, but it rhymes with "sticks") older than me, which also makes me feel a little better... Ha! Although he looks pretty great, and no one ever thinks he is as old (!) as he is.

For our birthday last year, we bought a tree for the back yard - a really cool, unusual tree. This year, we're planning a trip to Roatan, Honduras, and I am so excited. Dave broached the subject by telling me that he had considered a surprise party for me, but wondered if I might like to go on a trip instead... a lot easier to plan (for him), and several days of relaxing for the two of us, versus one big night of fun? Not too difficult of a decision for me, I'll take the vacation, especially over a bunch of black balloons, Ex-Lax and other gag gifts! Hello, sandy beaches and relaxing breezes, here I come!

Here's another part of my plans for my 40th:

Yep, I'm starting scuba lessons next week. While I'm not a big adventurer, scuba diving is something I think I'll really like. Dave has been diving for years, and I had considered getting certified when we were married in Jamaica almost four years ago,. But I just didn't want to spend the 3+ days getting certified during our time there, with all of the other stuff to do. This way I'll be able to take the class work and pool work here in Springfield, and then finish up my open water portion at the resort.

More soon about our trip, the location/resort comes highly recommended by good friends Shawn and Lucas, who have been there twice in the past 18 months and loved it.

That's all for now, but I'll try not to let another 3+ weeks go by without posting.

Christmas at the Ranch

What a wonderful Christmas and New Years' celebration! It was awesome to have almost all of us home for the long weekend ... we missed you, Rob, Michele, Sam, Eva and baby Henry. Happy 2011!