Being thankful

On this Thanksgiving night, it seems only appropriate to look back on the past year and count my blessings because there are many.

1. My family. Every year I am blessed enough to count the people with whom I surround myself as one of my most treasured "possessions." I have a doting husband who shows me everyday what it means to love someone else completely; who supports me in everything I do; who makes me laugh everyday. I know, gag me. I also have an incredible kid who is smart, well-behaved, and pretty dang amazing. I have parents who love me and a surrounding family, blood relations and in-laws, who make me happy.

2. My friends. Oh what an odd group of misfits you are. Each one provides something different that adds fun and laughter to my life. Some of you make me giggle like a 12 year old girl and others of you make me groan like the old lady I am. Whatever it may be, I'm so glad to call you a friend.

3. My job. So many people are being laid off or are miserable in their jobs. While I'm not always thrilled about it, I am thankful that I am employed and valued at work. At times, it even challenges me. And really, short of winning the lottery and not having to work at all, I've got it good.

4. My home. While things didn't go as planned, I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a few extra bucks to make bad decisions with. Not bad. Better than most.

5. The best is yet to come. And yes, this I am thankful for too. 2009 promises to be an amazing year in the Luopa household and I'm blessed to know that there are great things coming.

So to those few who read this, I hope you have counted your blessings too. And I hope you know that you're one of mine.

My dog who thinks he's a cat

Oh how I love my puppy. He's the best form of relaxation after a long day at work. His cuddles and his desire to play fetch constantly with his own puppy make me smile. Sometimes I think he's a tad bit confused regarding his species. At times I find him running across the back of the couch. Other times, when playing fetch, watching him pounce is pretty cute too. But last night took the cake. I was vaguely aware of him walking across the bed along my body. It seemed he was checking out what I had sitting on my nightstand. But then, as I drifted back to sleep, he decided it was time to lay down. So he sat. On my face. And I sat up sputtering and tasting puppy fur butt.

Oh how I love him.

My 5 strengths

It's that time of year again when annual planning takes hold of every organization and everyone awaits with bated breath to see if toilet paper will indeed be stocked in 2009. What also happens this time of year is professional development and performance planning. You know what I'm talking about. Every organization calls them something different. Mine calls them objectives. What do I want to accomplish, professionally, in 2009. As has already been established in previous posts, I have A LOT of personal things I want to accomplish but now I have to put my worker bee hat on and write yet another list.

As part of this exercise, we were all given the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton (that probably wasn't APA but I'm on strike, damnit!). If you haven't read it, you should. You can borrow mine. Or, go get your own copy so you can actually take the strengths finder quiz. Which I took. Which is the purpose of this blog.

What are my strengths, you ask? Well, I got my top 5 and they are actually in a specific order (strongest on down). So allow me to commit plagiarism and share my report with you.

Strategic

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path—your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

Ideation

You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. You revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. You love all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these reasons you derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to you. Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even smart. Perhaps you are all of these. Who can be sure? What you are sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.

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, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

Learner

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”

Achiever

Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. And by “every day” you mean every single day—workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

So, are we surprised by these? Not me so much. And actually, it was kind of fun to see the report considering some of the questions were very oddly worded. You had to rate yourself on a spectrum with a statement on each end. Essentially, which one describes you better. But here's the thing. I didn't always appreciate their "opposites." Take for example one question where on one end of the spectrum it said "I like to relax" and on the other it said "I like to clean." While funny, I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. And there were a lot like that.

Anyway, based upon this output, I need to develop a professional development plan for 2009. I wonder if I can include a raise and bonuses under "achiever"...

The finalized list!

With tomorrow being the 6 months mark before my 30th birthday, it's time to finalize The List. In no particular order, they are:

1. Run a 5k. Specifically the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k on May 10, 2009. Yes, it's cutting it close. Yes, that's on purpose.

2. Complete, and pass, my comprehensive exam. Theoretically I should be lots farther than that by then but this will be the easiest milestone to measure.

3. Have brunch in my jammies. With Phil. Because that's how we roll. And it's the only truly fun thing on this list.

4. Quit smoking. Preferably sooner rather than later. Plan is currently being devised. Stay tuned.

5. Lose more weight. While embarrassing to admit, I'm going to. My goal is to hit "onederland" by my birthday. Yes, that means changing that first number.

Truthfully, I think 5 items is enough. Especially when there are such big items as these. You'll notice I removed skinny dipping. While still a goal of something to do in my life, it's not practical to try and do it during the winter in order to hit my birthday. We want the list to be challenging but attainable. This one didn't meet those requirements.

Aaaannnndddd we're off!

Committee member #2!

Ah, even in one day serious progress can be made! I found out this morning that the second faculty member I asked to serve on my dissertation committee has agreed. That's two down...one to go. Now I just need to decide who I am going to ask for the third spot. I have an idea but I am not sure that she even does that kind of thing due to her position here at Capella. But as Adam says, the worst she can say is no.

The Dissertation Committee!

Every learner writing a dissertation is required to have a dissertation committee. The committee is made up of 3 faculty members who read, review, and provide feedback on the various chapters and milestones of the dissertation. It is this committee that eventually authorizes the doctorate (we hope). So today I heard back from the individual I asked to serve as my mentor. The mentor is one member of the committee who chairs the work and is the final sign off for all milestones. She has agreed to serve as my mentor and I am thrilled! It is another hurdle in this process that I have passed so I can move onto the next. I have already sent an email to the second potential committee member in hopes she will accept. I'm still considering the third. The third member is a "special" role. This person is considered a "visiting scholar" and does not need to have expertise in my chosen field. There are a lot of opportunities to choose someone with some complimentary experiences and ideas. One person I have in mind is another woman. Is there a risk or...perhaps better put...a miss if I don't include a male perspective? There is more to be considered. But yay!

Signs of the times

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is the sole opinion of the author. It is not assumed nor is it expected that the opinions are shared by the readers.

Yeah Obama! What a thrill to have played a role in the election of our 44th president! Yes, I am an Obama supporter and today I feel that change has come to America. Yes we did!

But in the midst of this historic victory were some failures. And not to downplay the victory, for me it is only right to give a little attention to the injustices that happened on election day 2008.

In the state of California, Proposition 8 may well have passed. This proposition was to overturn the state supreme court decision to allow gay marriage. Approximately 3 million absentee ballots remain to be counted but as of now, the vote counts at 52% to 48% in favor of overturning the decision. I heard, from a friend, that there may be an issue for same sex couples that were married in the state while it was legal. Apparently there may be a question as to whether those unions will be recognized. I, however, was not able to verify if that is true or not.

In the state of Arkansas, where same sex marriage is already banned, has now banned adoption and foster parenting to those who are single or in same sex relationships. The question for this blogger is what will happen to those single or gay individuals that have already adopted or are currently foster parents.

In the state of Florida, the ballot approved an amendment to the state constitution to limit marriage to opposite sex couples and to ban civil unions.

In the state of Arizona, an amendment to the state constitution was also approved to limit marriage to opposite sex couples.

Sorry folks, but this is what's wrong with this country. All couples, regardless of sexual orientation, should have the right to marry. This isn't only about gay rights (but yes, those are important too) but also about equality and the sheer unimportance of sexual orientation to the act of loving and marrying. This is not a government issue. And I hope that this will be one of the changes I see in my lifetime...preferrably sooner rather than later.

So way to go, America! One major step to change, acceptance, and true equality. But we're not there yet.

A snapshot in time...

...things I'm excited about today!

1. Realizing this morning that I now weigh almost 10 lbs less than the weight mini-goal I was so excited to hit.
2. Also realizing this morning that I weigh almost 20 lbs less than my original 10% goal…something I had never hit before.
3. Having the same frustrations every morning - I don't know what to wear because nothing fits and I hate it all. (It's a nice problem to have.)
4. Paying only $22 to fill the Jetta up with gas this morning.
5. Voting! Change! Getting a sticker!

That is all.

Quilting

On Monday, November 10th my parents will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary! And being the sentimental schlub I am, I thought this was an event that needed to be commemorated in some way. I've been pondering this for over a year and decided that I would make them a memory quilt that in some small way gave a snapshot of those 30 years. Of course, I didn't start the quilt until I had only 5 days to do it. :)

I am a sometime quilter. I learned a little about quilting from my psycho roommate in college. It started out easy enough. Lap-sized quilts of equal size squares. Pretty straight forward and something to cut my teeth on. Then I got rather...overzealous. My Mom had been a runner earlier in my life and had saved many of her race t-shirts for a quilt she would make or have made "someday." I decided I could handle this challenge. And, I was wrong. Yes, I made the quilt. Yes, she loved it as only a mother can. And yes, it still hangs in her house today. But it hangs there sadly, a constant reminder of my shame, as it hangs kiddie wompus on the wall. Ugh. She won't let me fix it.

So in honor of the anniversary, I was going to do a memory quilt which is defined by having pictures. And a friend of mine shared with me a design for a quilt. And this wasn't squares. This was triangles and "stars" and all kinds of challenging stuff. And to add more complexity, I had taken her stained wedding dress she was about to throw out 18 months ago with plans to incorporate the fabric into the quilt. And I did. And it turned out pretty damn well. Now, I look at that quilt and see all of my mistakes but Adam assures me that no one else sees them. She loved it. My Dad loved it. And it will soon grace the wall in their bedroom. And I won't be so embarrassed.

Big milestone today!

Today a special letter came to me in the mail. It was a congratulations card from Capella. It seems that my audit request was received and conducted and it was found that I have completed all required coursework and will be ready to begin the comprehensive exam in January as was planned.

While it was expected, it was an odd experience for me. I pulled the card out of the envelope and on the front it said "You dreamed. You learned. You persevered." and as far as I'm concerned, truer words have never been spoken. It's been a long road and while I haven't reached the finish line yet, I can see it. When I opened it, I teared up a little. There was something especially poignant about reading it. About realizing how far I have come and what a big deal this really is. Maybe every once in awhile, I should step back and pat myself on the back for how far I've come. Just give myself a chance to really fully realize what I've done instead of constantly plowing again with little to no retrospection.

In any case, almost there!