JOURNAL: Take It Off

Alright, I know that I will have some serious gaps in activity logging in the past couple weeks. It's been very busy at the office, working towards an all-too-near code cutoff. Too bad I'll be away all weekend with no chance of putting time in. Still, there are other projects that beg my attention. And I've been all too tired lately... needing more discipline in implementing priorities.. but that's another post for another time.

I'm actually blogging because I'm hyped on endorphins from tonight's volleyball. I was really tired leaving work, but still decided that I needed some exercise, and boy did I sweat. I tamed the usual over-excited me and went in on the calm. There were nine of us tonight, and I played on the 5 team. There are definitely some strong personalities out there and that's one of the reasons that I was playing it down.

During this week's counseling session, I recognized the strides I've made these past years on how to handle personal conflicts and stresses. I recognized how I still have ADHD tendancies -- to which I'm trying to put more effort in taming myself in general. I also acknowledged my desire for someone to nag me, my inclination for complaining, and my need for quickly feedback.

And I guess that's where volleyball's entering the picture recently... I'm not an awesome volleyball player, but I'm not a bad one either. I'm in the "diamond-in-the-rough category" (as far as I see it) and set myself up for others to give me suggestions on how to improve, etc. And there's always the possibility to take such comments the wrong way, but I do have a big-picture in mind and appreciate that others are trying to teach me.

But I also can see where sometimes I have to take some "suggestions" with a grain of salt -- I can tell when a person's suggestion is meant to open more opportunities for that person... and I'm alright with that. It's a matter of people getting overly-competative or over-anxious, and I recognize when I should step away.

The person playing the center usually takes the second hit to set the ball, and tonight, as Not-the-center, I went for the ball and got both an elbow to the chin and a sharp criticism from the center saying that he has the second ball no matter what.

On another day, that could've broken me, but I knew it'd be no good to over-react either way. This was recreational volleyball, and I was just there for exercise. And as karma had it, during the next play, the second hit on our side was falling right towards me, and I just took a couple quick, gentle steps back and let the ball hit the ground.

It was an "oh snap" moment if I knew one, but I was relishing the chance to demonstrate a lesson learned.

And like yin & yang, there was a female voice on our team that was more nurturing, and I heard her a couple times come to my defense for my drifting ("having a lot of energy and being able to cover space isn't necessarily a bad thing") plus I was able to demonstrate a suggestion she had for me -- which was to bend my knees more when I dig a ball so that it goes more vertical.

Anyways, it was an okay night -- a little more __??__ that I'd like but was still a good workout. But I think that I'm going to need a night or two away, much like me and Toastmasters this morning.

As I mentioned, work has been very busy for me this week and it will be again next week. With hardware and help available this morning, I decided to forego the Toastmasters meeting to continue working. I delegated my responsibilities (TMoD & Business Session), and I heard afterwards that it was quite a pleasant meeting.

I took from that that sometimes it really is good to have take a meeting off every now-and-again. Take a day off. Take a ______ off. Just take it off.

I even missed the Toastmasters meeting at the gym this evening (too tired to remember) -- and it was one I said I'd go to too. Oh well, it's nothing I can't be forgiven for. Yeah, it's about priorities and making decisions.

And revisiting the points from this week's counseling session, I feel like I did handle stressful situations well both at work today and at the gym tonight. I will try to do better to get all I need accomplished accomplished tonight. And I will give myself the positive reinforcement I require for making the decisions I need to make. *group hug*

Alright, below are a couple sets of sweaty jumping ceddy kitchen pics -- from Monday night and tonight. Also, I'm going to shoehorn-in some pictures from Monday's shuttle launch of Atlantis (really should be a post of its own -- I'm not lazy, just efficient and more time-realistic)... and a picture of the pineapple upside-down cake I made last night. Anyways, good night.
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Atlantis launch (5/11/09, 2:01pm) from the parking lot at work:and a few of my co-workers:Monday's Post-Gym pics (5/11/09):Tonight's/Wednesday's Post-Gym pics (5/13/09):Last night's pineapple upside-down cake (5/12/09, using crushed pineapples instead of sliced):