Sometimes I have to laugh at myself that actually I enjoy writing now.

When I was a kid, I would've rather been beaten to a pulp than have to sit at the dining room table and forced to write a paper for school. I would resort to tears of frustration getting started each time. It never just flowed.

I mentioned that to my mom after she read one of my blog entries recently and she was surprised. She reminded me that in the second or third grade I won a plaque in a writing contest about "What My Country Means to Me". I didn't remember that, but sure enough, I dug around in a box of treasures I've kept of my school years and there it was. Strange.

It wasn't until I did some reporting for a TV station in Rapid City, SD, that I realized how much fun it was. Maybe it was because I wasn't being forced to write about Shakespere or something I didn't care about. Because I did mainly feature reporting, I was able to go find fun and interesting stories about things that were interesting.

I once did an entire 60-second segment using alliteration while in Greenville, MS. Miss Mississippi lived nearby the town we were in and we were told that she was bringing in her standard poodles into the local dog beauty shop for cuts. Yeah, it was a slow news day. So I had a lot of fun with it, using alliteration around "P". It actually turned out fairly well, even though I had little video and not much story to work with.

Another of my favorite stories, also in Mississippi, was about a group of Italian ladies who got together every few weeks to make pasta. They were hilarious and they made it so easy to put together a funny piece. I don't think I laughed so hard the whole time I lived there. The difficult part of that one was the editing.

So a few years ago, I decided to capture the writing bug again and channel it in with my other favorite passion, reality TV. Oh c'mon! I know everyone out there has at least one show they'll watch, even if they don't tell anyone. I wrote into a website I read regularly and offered up my services. They gave me a crap show to start with, then I moved up from there to the one Survivor column I wanted more than any other, which allows me to analyze the editing and figure out who will be sent home next.

Now I get to practice on you all as well though the blog. Though it feels like a diary, it also feels like a way to see if something is working or not. I enjoy reading other people's blogs to get a feel for their rhythm and styles; hopefully pick up a few tricks along the way.

I can't believe this used to bring me to tears.

Hope

I'm not really into politics, but the events of the past few weeks or so surrounding President Obama's innauguration give me the urge to just bust open a blog. Just one though, then it's back to the usual semi-mindless chatter.

To give you a little background, I'm about as middle-of-the road as they come. I lean mainly left when it comes to issues surrounding the environment, women's choices, and gay marriage. I lean mainly to the right when it comes to free enterprise with business, finances and the military, in general.

My dad and brother lean as far right as Atilla the Hun and you can't tell them anything. So I don't bother trying. My mom is pretty middle-of-the-road with a conservative lean. But what I think she and I have in common is the ability to see the grey areas. People like my dad and brother, to me, have their views so distorted, that they don't take into account the outside edges. And I have friends who swing so far left, they too are on the outside edges. There's a big area of grey in the middle.

But let's dig into the elections a bit. I was really torn last year when it came down to who to vote for. Both parties have had their pendulums swing so far to the right or left, that it's difficult to really make a sound decision for who will do the best job for this country, which is what it's supposed to be about in the first place. Nearly every leader, no matter if it's the President or just a general manager at your office, comes into the job thinking that they will do something that makes a difference. Nobody goes into a job with the intent of doing a bad job.

That said, it was a tough decision on who to vote for, but I voted. Both candidates had qualities I liked and both had negatives which I didn't. I struggled to figure out who I thought would be best for our country.

After living in the south for most of my adult years, I've found that there still is a separation of white vs. black in many places. When I lived a short six months in Greenville, Missisippi there was never a bigger gap than I saw there. Literally, there was a white and black side of town, with train tracks separating the two. I grew up in California and was absolutely floored that this kind of divide still existed.

Today, I'm proud of our country that the population was able to see a man instead of a black man. Or at least I hope they did. I'm happy to see that there was a large increase in the number of black voters who turned out to vote. I'm thrilled to see that a lot of white folks were able to do the same. It really shouldn't be an issue from here out, because now we, as a nation know that we can see past that.

But in saying all of this, I have to wonder if there were a vast majority of people who were caught up in the fervor of being able to say that they voted for the first black president or being able to say they were a part of history, no matter how small. I wonder that once this tide got started, it just couldn't be slowed down.

Last week, in the events leading up to the innauguration, the media continued to play to the frenzy, interviewing people off the streets who thought that President Obama will be the savior of the free world or the person who will make their lives good again. I fear that these same people are going to be so let down once he digs in and gets to work. There are many folks out there who think that change will happen quickly and that it will all be for the better. The honeymoon will wear off and they will see that the government is more than just the president.

If these people understand our system, they will need to open their eyes to the rest of the Senate and House. They will need to keep an eye out for what is happening locally that they can do something about. They can only change their own positions in life; they can't wait for someone from up above to come change things for them.

I only hope that this country, conservatives, liberals, and moderates alike, can just take their views, not skew them with vile hatred and support our country and our president to the best of their ability. I hope that President Obama is able to make the changes he wants to with the support of Congress and I hope that they are the right decisions for the country, not the political party. I hope that people will be able to see the mistakes for what they are. And I hope that those who oppose him can find some good in what he does do well. I hope we can get past the political diatribes on both sides to see the grey area which resides in the middle; the grey area which most of the population probably truely resides.

It's going to be a very interesting four years.

Back to School

I've been procrastinating for a long time. Too long, in fact. But now, I'm thrilled to be getting back into the groove.

When I graduated from high school, I was burnt out on school and ready for a change for a while. I joined the Air Force thinking I'd use it as a tool to get myself into the Air Force Academy through a back door, just so I could go to college in Colorado (flawed thinking, right?) Though I tried for 2 years, I didn't make it in, but it probably ended up being a blessing in disguise. I like how my life turned out, even with out it.

So I picked up a few classes along the way at each of the bases I was stationed. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a math and science geek. The universities overseas only had lower level credits for Chemistry, Calculus and the sort. I racked up nearly 120 credits, but nothing added up to a degree.

Which brings us to the present.

Two weeks ago I started back to school and I love it! It's all online, so it may end up taking a bit of extra effort to stay diligent to studying, especially when warm weather beckons me outside. I felt like a kid the day the class opened up online for me to start digging in. I almost wanted to go out to buy a new outfit to wear, despite nobody being able to see it online.

There's just something wonderful about the smell of a new textbook and the sound it makes as you flip the corners to make that bbbrrrriiiip noise with the pages. There's magic in learning, even at the ripe age of 40. (Notice I left out the word "old"?)

Despite warnings from nearly everyone I talked to, I'm diving in head first with Statistics as my first course. As I said, I'm a bit of a math geek, so it hasn't been as awful as the dire warnings that have come unsolicited. Actually, it might have been a good thing to wait so long because through this online course, the angle is actually towards using a practical application of statistics. The course was developed in a way where all the homework and tests point the student towards using Excel effectively, rather than memorizing formulas and going through the math. Genius!

So now I'm working through my plan of action over the next 2-3 years so I can finish up in Aviation Technical Management, which is the path of least resistance. Other than a basic English class, all the credits I have are upper level management classes. I have this year planned out so that I can finish about 21 credits. We'll see how that pans out.

Yay! I'm so excited!

Kari Kennedy

Embry-Riddle University 2011

Tribute to Geeks

I love geeks. There. I said it. I realized it the other night as I watched "Good Eats" on The Food Network.

Alton Brown, to me, is just the right package. He's interesting. He's funny. He digs chemistry and all kinds of scientific stuff (or at least he acts that way). To me, he's a geek in his own right. I love him. I'd call "dibs" if he ever got a divorce.

He's not the only geek who has caught my eye over time. Drew Carey? Yup, he's another one of my favorite geeks. But is he really one, or just a funny comedian? By appearance, he seems to be one. Once again, he's funny and wickedly smart. And for him, I love the black framed glasses.

His co-star, Ryan Stiles isn't exactly a pinup model, but you know what? I've always had a soft spot for him too. He's not the typical geek, but he's one that may be the guy who was a little socially awkward growing up but funny as hell! I wonder what he's like in person.

But in looking at this list, I suppose I’m drawn to funny guys who are smart more so than true geeks. I'm surrounded by techie geeks every day at work, but few catch my attention. Well probably because those who I might be interested in are already married.

Or gay.

I think I just like the people who have a certain uniqueness about them. My favorite boyfriends have all had their own fun idiosyncrasies. They usually weren't the perfect beauty types, but more average Joes. They were all funny. They all knew how to laugh at themselves. Maybe they just understood who they were and were good with it.

So why can't I find one for myself? Probably because the smart girls snatched these gems up already.

But remember Alton, if you are reading this and suddenly find yourself single…

Botox anyone?

I am a person who always thought that plastic surgery and all this botox stuff was only a way to get around growing old. I think that people should just grow old gracefully and enjoy the lifelines that they've been given. Embrace the smile lines!

That was, before I noticed something the other day.

It was a gorgeous day here in Dallas. Temperatures were supposed to hit near 80 in January, so why not try out a new dress now instead of waiting for spring?

Having fine, thin hair on my head is, most days, a curse. It just doesn't do much and there's not much I can do with it. The upside of this, is that the hair on my legs is nearly non-existant or hardly shows up. Some weeks, it takes a light breeze for me to realize I need to shave.

But this projected warm day, I thought that it might be time for a quick leg scrape before heading off to work. As I plopped my left foot on the counter I noticed something horrifying! I saw wrinkles on my knees! What the hell?!

Curious as to where they might be coming from, I put that leg down and looked down. Sure enough, I have a little fatty deposit, which probably won't go away with running and cycling, just above my kneecap on the inside. Both legs! I felt like crying!

Now I don't mind my wrinkles on my face, but for some reason, this new wrinkle, pun intended, in my growing older just sent me over the edge that morning. Sigh. Now I'm not going to rush out to get botox or have a knee lift, but wow, what an awakening.

Have any of you noticed weird stuff like this as you get older?

Lists for the new year

Yeah it's been a while since the last post. I meant to update it after Halloween at SWA, then after the beautiful and relaxing trip to Belize, but stuff just seemed to get in the way. So I'll get back to those one day; I resolve to do it.

I was awake in the middle of the night last week, something that has been happening with some frequency lately, and stewing about the year to come. I was mentally making a list of stuff I wanted to do in 2009. I work best with lists. A list has items you can scratch off or check off. A list complete feels like an accomplishment. An incomplete list makes me feel as if I have a target and it usually keeps me on track; away from distractions.

I don't think I like the idea of having new year's resolutions, per se. I like the idea of having real solutions (maybe where the word came from?) to things I can control in my life and make a difference. I suppose it's more like a goal list, as much as anything. Like I said, I'm good at goal-setting and lists. Hee hee!

Being new to the blogging world, I figured this would be as good of a place as any to start making that list; then checking in on it monthly to check the progress. Some items on the list are actually measurable and may be ticked off through the year. Others will be a bit less tangible, but the results will come over a longer period of time.

So what does make the list?

Be the friend I want to have. I haven't always been the most ideal friend at times, so I want to be the friend I want to be around. Hopefully, I can find some solid friendships that will last and make me feel as if there are many levels to them. I have a couple of these. I could do better in this department, though.

Write more. Write well. I have found in the past year or so that I actually enjoy writing. Much more so than I ever did in school. Now I'd like to learn how to make it more eloquent and enjoyable for me and the reader. Some of the other writers at RNO and blogs I read teach me something new each time I read their work. Any new input is appreciated, so help me out here. :)

Exercise 5x/week. I do this most of the time already, but there are days that I really don't feel like going to the gym or going for a run. Skipping workouts is a habit that gets easy if you let it. I don't want to let it.

Lose those 10lbs. Then hide from them. Yes, those same pesky 10 pounds I swore I'd lose last year are still hanging on with a vengance. I got down closer at one point last summer., but never hit the 10 pound threshold. With several goal races (below/side), I hope the work will pay off. Better yet, I will make the work pay off.

Take a trip with friends. I had a great mini-trip to Austin with my friends Deeann and Greg last summer. I also enjoyed a week with friends and some family in Belize in November. It was fun and chaotic, but I got to know a few of them better. I'll try again with another group of friends this year.

Save some money. Easier said than done, but I need to get my savings account at 5% of my income right now. Not much, but with other bills, at least it's something.

Pay off 2 cards. Hide them. I put all my cards in a safe place that isn't in my purse. Two of them can be paid off. I might be pushing it to get a third one done as well, but it would be a stretch goal. They should be for emergency use only. A great sale at Ann Taylor or a shoe store is not an emergency (dangit!)

Finish at least 15 credits at school. I really want to finish my degree. It's a long time coming. I'm enrolled and have a class scheduled to start in January. Time and money permitting, this goal is certainly achievable.

Race/fitness goals:

• Run a 5k under 28 minutes. I just did one on Jan 3rd in 28:45 and was cramping the last 1/2 mile and slower. This one is do-able.


• Run at least one half marathon and one 25k. The Yuengling Shamrock half in Virginia Beach is on the books for March. My brother and his wife are doing it as well. I'll have to figure out which 25k trail races I want to do this season.


• Run 750 miles this year. That comes out to less than 15 miles a week average. It might be the hardest goal this year considering everything else going on, but it's worth a try.


• Do a century bike ride. My good friend, Rick, proposed this one and I think it's easiliy possible.


• Ride at least 2000 miles this year. I plan to bike to work again at least once a week when it gets a little warmer and the days get longer. I'm also planning to do RAGBRAI with friends this year. Doing the ride, plus all the training leading up to it should make this an easy hit. I almost said 2500 miles, but chickened out.


• Compete in at least two triathlons. Improve on the time from last year on at least one of them. Again, this should be achievable with the Danskin Tri in Austin again. I'd like to try a few more.

Wow, this is a big list looking back at it. Each piece individually shouldn't be too hard, for the most part, but acheiving all of them will be a feat. I may be a running, biking, friending fool come next December! Next update will be in February.