Category Archives: M.Y. Words

Snow Stress

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all the lovers, those that believe in love and those seeking love.  Remember love exists in many ways so spend this weekend with the people/things that bring a smile to your face!

Snow Stress

Feb10-2

I have a love/hate relationship with snow.  I love it because it is an amazing sight to see.    To see the glow of the snow in my backyard, especially before it is touched with footprints is simply peaceful.  The way the snow sits on top of branches and rooftops looks like the page out of a perfect storybook.  There is also the joy that my job operates on the school schedule, so when they are out – so am I!

And then there’s my reality – the steep driveway that serves as my sole distraction between me being stuck at home and being reunited with the real world.  It’s not a basic, flat driveway.  This driveway is on an incline. If it’s not shoveled, I will either slide right down it or not be able to get back up it.

On Tuesday we had about six inches of snow. As the garage lifted, I knew I was in for my some major work outside.  I HATE SHOVELING SNOW!!!!! Now living in my childhood home, it’s become an instant thought associated with snow.

As I shoveled the snow this week I started to become very frustrated. I thought to myself, ‘whoever prayed for snow, please tell God you’re satisfied and the snow can stop coming’.  I kept thinking about how much I hated doing this.  Life was just so horrible.

And then I had a flashback – my mother and my father used to shovel this same driveway.  Not once did I ever remember them complaining.  I then remembered one particular snow day.  I moved back home for a couple of years after college and was an elementary school teacher.  My mother had ovarian cancer, and had just had some lymph nodes removed from her neck with surgery.  As I slept in, I heard my various neighbors shoveling their driveways one morning.  When I finally got out of bed, I realized the noise that I heard was my own mother shoveling our driveway.  I remember asking her what she was doing.  Her response was, “I didn’t want you to be late for teaching!”  Here is this woman that was battling cancer and just had a procedure done on her neck and she’s outside shoveling snow for me.

At the remembrance of that memory, I instantly stopped complaining. If she could do that for me, I had no reason to complain about doing it myself.  I also realized that I was blessed because she had purchased the most super-duper snow shovel ever invented.  I don’t have to lean over to pick up snow, it’s large enough to shovel standing up.

By now my complaints seemed juvenile and I instead concentrated on the songs on my Ipod. As I got to the last scoop at the bottom of my driveway, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I looked down my street and saw a family outside.  They had built a large snowman and we admiring their finished product. Tis the season to make memories.  I am glad that my temporary negativity didn’t affect that family from creating a new memory those kids would never forget!

M.Y. February 2010

Age No Limit

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(For Facebook this week you’re supposed to post the pic of a celebrity people say you favor – mine is AJ Johnson from “House Party”, “Inkwell” and “Baby Boy”)
Age No Limit Part II

Feb10-1Research shows that January is the most popular month for divorce.  One of the main reasons is because the holidays are over and people want to start the year with a fresh start.  I have been both dumped and the dumper in the month of January, so although not divorce- I was/am part of the “new beginnings” club.  (I guess it saves some money in February since you don’t  have to splurge on Valentine’s Day gifts that either get eaten (candy) or die (flowers) within 72 hours.

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the dating scene in Louisville and how different it is to date in various age groups.   Being 33 years old, I can attract men in their 20s (it makes me feel like a cougar! LOL) and also men in their 40s (I make them feel like they still got it!).  But as you know- there’s always a story to tell!

Last year my neck was completely locked.  I could move every other body part except my neck.  It wouldn’t turn side to side and all I could do was look forward.  My physical therapist worked wonders, but I still needed a neck brace to help with the recovery.  So, I drove to the Gould’s Medical store in St. Matthews.  The people in there were buying motorized wheelchairs, butt cushions etc..  But in a corner was this sharp, attractive Black male.  As I looked at the brace section, I felt his shadow approach me.  He was in town because his mother was moved out of a nursing home and he was going to care for her at her house.  (Very commendable).

Long story, short – information was exchanged.  Phone calls were had.  A “date” was set up to meet for lunch.  We met at Cunningham’s downtown.  He was funny, but a little too flashy for me.  His phone rings and one of his ‘boys from high school’ is in the area and is going to swing through.  Sure, whatever.  The friend comes in and sits at our table, supposedly they are still the best of friends.  As the two of them are talking, I realize that this guy looks really familiar to me.  I just can’t put my finger on it.
Where do I know this man from?
Ah – and then it clicks.  I stop their conversation and say, “Aren’t you (name of one of my friends) father?”  His eyes grow a little wider.  It reminded me of the Snickers commercial “Awkward!”

Moral of that story – there’s nothing wrong with dating someone older than you, just make sure your friends won’t eventually be calling you mama or daddy!

M.Y.  February 2010

Singled Out Recap

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“Singled Out Recap”

Jan10-4I co-sponsored the first Singles’ Networking Event last week and was nervous about the outcome.  So many parties are flooded with women with just a sprinkle of men.  We asked everyone to pre-pay in advance so that we could keep up with the ratio of men/women and make the check in process go faster.

The day of the event, my email went crazy with people registering.  We had to stop letting the females register and only allowed 10 more men to pay at the door.  We had a sold out crowd!

And then the middle school party began!  The men actually started arriving before the women and there were probably 4 men for every 1 woman for the first 30 minutes.  After it filled up some more I had to walk over to the men and tell them there wasn’t an imaginary line in the room – they were allowed to walk over to the other side and talk to the women.

Luckily that didn’t last too long!  The room filled up with an almost equal number of women and men. People were smiling and laughing.  Folks were eating and drinking. It was one of few places where you could walk around and talk to different people and nobody looked at you funny. Everyone yelled at the tv screen as UL lost their game. And then people started circling the letters/numbers of people they were interested in. I saw some folks batting eyes at each other and exchanging numbers.  At 10pm, we literally had to kick people out of the event.

It took me over five hours to review all of the matches and email everybody.  There were a good number of connections made so it will be interesting to see where it all leads.  Those that didn’t get into the event have already asked about the next one and those that did attend are equally excited.  It was one of those nights where even if you didn’t make a love connection, you came away with some new friendships in the area.

Stay posted – the next singles event might be just around the corner (February 11 to be exact!) 

 

 

M.Y. January 2010

Age No Limit

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Age No Limit

Jan10-3

I was reflecting recently on the dating scene in Louisville.  If you’re in the right place, at just the right time, and happen to be in just the right mood – you can meet some really wonderful people.  Although I do have certain preferences in the men I am attracted to, age has no barrier.

Older, younger, same age – they are all potential “Future Mr. Yeagers”.  However, I also realized that each age range can have its misfortunes.

 

Part I – The Younger Man

Our eyes first met at a party several years ago.  He was standing alone in a corner and I walked up and said hello.  He asked me to dance.  While on the floor, we asked each other’s age.  I said 29.  He said 23.  My eyes opened in shock.  Just a baby I thought to myself.  But he had a good personality and a great smile.  We talked a great deal that night, but he never asked for my phone number.

Several weeks went by and we ran into each other at an ice cream store.  We once again exchanged smiles and conversation, but once again he made no attempt to get in further contact.  I assumed he was either not interested or gay.

More time goes by and once again we are at the same party.  This time he is even more excited to see me.  We dance, we chat.  He asks me for a date.  I accept.  Dates turn into a relationship and life is good – except for one thing.  His mother didn’t like me at all. Without knowing me, she just didn’t care for me.

One day we realized we went to the same high school.  He pulled out his yearbook and it was entitled ‘Past, Present, Future’.  In HIS yearbook under the ‘Past’ header is a picture of MY senior class with me sitting in the front row.  I think I grew three gray hairs at that moment.

Anyway, the relationship eventually ended.  As soon as it did, he moved out of his apartment and back home.  The timing of the move was rather odd so I asked him about it.  His response – “When I first met you I knew that you wouldn’t date me if you knew I lived at home, so I moved out”.  I was speechless.  I now understood why his mother gave me a cold shoulder and also why it took him so long to ask me out.  But in a weird way, I felt honored.  A man that does something that drastic to try to win your heart is a man that will make a great husband to the right woman!

Moral of the story (as I click my heels together three times): “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home!”

M.Y. January 2010

Overcome

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Overcome

Jan10-2

This weekend I entered a fitness challenge at the Convention Center downtown.  It was completely different than my fitness competitions but I figured I had nothing to lose.  There was a series of six events.  Each one was timed and you received points based on how you finished.

Lesson #1 – Looks can be deceiving.  After looking at the other competitors, I just KNEW I could win the overall.  The first event was pull-ups for 60 seconds.  I busted out 8 of them real quick, then my body would no longer pull.  The judge said “27 more second!”  What?  I struggled to get one more out.  The lady that went after me, she was in her 40s, busted out 13 pull-ups.  I was brought back to reality as I started the competition in second place.

Lesson #2 – We all have bad days.  I won the next two events (60 seconds of pushups and then box jumps).  The 4th event was sprinting with 3 weighted balls.  As a former sprinter, I knew this would be my shining moment!  I took off with full force, picked up the first ball and watched it roll out of my hands.  This set me back several seconds and I actually ended up forth in that event.

Lesson #3 – Support systems are super.  While waiting for the last event, the obstacle course, my friends Shannon and Renee (and Renee’s son KB) came out to be my cheerleaders.  It was a wonderful feeling to have people on your side letting you know they are proud of all you are trying to accomplish.

Lesson #4 – Sometimes close doesn’t get it.  The obstacle course consisted of things like tire flipping, carrying 20 pounds of sand in each hand and jumping over/under hurdles.  At the end of my run, I was told I received a 3 second penalty because my tire did not flip completely over the white line.

Lesson #5 – Despite adversities, you can still come out a winner.  At the end of the day, I didn’t know how I finished.  There were winners for each age group and then the overall.  I won my age group, and also the overall!  With it came a huge trophy, $200 in prizes, $300 in cash and the title “KY’s Fittest Female”.  The title and all of the accolades are great.  But as I reflected on the day, I also realized that regardless of the pitfalls that get us down or the barriers that hold us back, we can all still be successful!

M.Y.  January 2010

Begin Again in 2010

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Begin again in 2010!
Jan10-1

First of all – Happy New Year to each and every one of you! 2009 was a overall good year for me.  I traveled, traveled and traveled some more by taking 15 trips.  I fell in love with someone that lives 1,000 miles away, made a name for myself in the fitness world, and experienced history with Obama.  Unfortunately I also lost my grandmother, realized I need a new career and woke up one morning with a paralyzed neck.

Last year I set three goals. 1) to get my fitness pro card, 2) to open my heart to falling in love and 3) to increase the OnyxLouisville presence.  I was very close (4 points) to getting my pro card. I spent a year in a relationship and to feel loved was amazing!  And, I met my goal for OnyxLouisville.

This year with 2010, I decided to do “10 for 10 in 2010″!  I have set ten goals this year.  Some are continuations from last year like getting my fitness pro card.  Others are extensions of last year.  Although my relationship started out great, toward the end of the year I wasn’t sure if it was “the one”.  So, I am starting out this year single again with a goal once again of developing a new successful relationship.  Then there are new goals like doing more public speaking for community service organizations and seeking another career.  I might not achieve all of my goals in 2010, but it’s a direction to work toward.

Why not join me in “10 for 10 in 2010″?!  Think about ways you want to improve yourself. Whether big or small, set some goals and try to achieve them.  Share your goals with others so they can offer you support and encouragement.  The sky should be the limit for all of us this year.  If you believe, you can achieve!

M.Y. January 2010