Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Check Back Tomorrow!
Tonight is the Gary Morse concert at Rasta Pasta! It's been announced on KRCC, the local NPR station, which I think is really cool. I will post pictures of the event here, so check back tomorrow and Thursday for pictures and a review of the fun. I hope you can make it to see for yourself, but if you can't... I'll forgive you! But, please consider a donation: here. All of your generous donation will go towards funding stroke education, research, and programs to support stroke survivors and caregivers.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Local Musician Gary Morse
In his own words...
Please join us on Tuesday, September 24th at Rasta Pasta (405 North Tejon in COS), for an hour+ concert on behalf of Natalie and her running effort to support the National Stroke Association. If you've not eaten at Rasta, come early and enjoy the unusual Jamaican/Italian blend that gives the restaurant its name. The kitchen will close at 8:00 PM as we convert to concert seating (drinks still served!). Donations to support Natalie's trip to the NYC Marathon will be accepted.
The music is eclectic - everything from rock to folk to country to jazz to reggae and humorous, topic ditties to boot! Come join us...Gary
Gary will be playing an eclectic mix of original songs and 'customized covers', and I can't wait to see you there! I will have stroke awareness bracelets for sale at the show for a suggested donation price of $20. Show up early and enjoy some of Rasta Pasta's signature vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free Caribbean/Italian fusion dishes. I will be there too, to talk about my marathon journey and why National Stroke Association is a cause worthy of your support.
My Fundraising Page
Please join us on Tuesday, September 24th at Rasta Pasta (405 North Tejon in COS), for an hour+ concert on behalf of Natalie and her running effort to support the National Stroke Association. If you've not eaten at Rasta, come early and enjoy the unusual Jamaican/Italian blend that gives the restaurant its name. The kitchen will close at 8:00 PM as we convert to concert seating (drinks still served!). Donations to support Natalie's trip to the NYC Marathon will be accepted.
The music is eclectic - everything from rock to folk to country to jazz to reggae and humorous, topic ditties to boot! Come join us...Gary
Gary will be playing an eclectic mix of original songs and 'customized covers', and I can't wait to see you there! I will have stroke awareness bracelets for sale at the show for a suggested donation price of $20. Show up early and enjoy some of Rasta Pasta's signature vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free Caribbean/Italian fusion dishes. I will be there too, to talk about my marathon journey and why National Stroke Association is a cause worthy of your support.
My Fundraising Page
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Busy
Marathon training is picking up, and I haven't had much time for writing. But, as I noted before - if I don't write people don't have anything to read. Interest wanes quickly in this digital-age.
I have the official flyer for Gary Morse's charity concert! Printed today at Tri Lakes Printing, where they also let me post one. Very exciting. Tomorrow my goal is to plaster them all over town. WHich should be fun, since I also have a 6 mile run, 9 hours at the office, and a knitting group. See why I think there aren't enough hours in the day?
Since it's been a while since I linked to it, here is my fundraising page. I've raised $200 dollars to date. That's good. But it's not good enough. Not just because my goal is $3,000. I'm really not that selfish. I want this money to go to the National Stroke Association because they do good work. They help health professionals like me get the word out about stroke - so that someday stroke will not be the #4 cause of death and a major cause of lasting disability. And for you younger folks out there reading: stroke does not just happen in the elderly. Watch this. After the marathon is over, I hope to start doing more community outreach programs through my job as stroke nurse. I want to visit schools and start talking to kids about stroke. Because it can happen at any age. And National Stroke Association is where I will turn for quality materials and ideas. That's one reason why I support them, and I hope that you will too.
I have the official flyer for Gary Morse's charity concert! Printed today at Tri Lakes Printing, where they also let me post one. Very exciting. Tomorrow my goal is to plaster them all over town. WHich should be fun, since I also have a 6 mile run, 9 hours at the office, and a knitting group. See why I think there aren't enough hours in the day?
Since it's been a while since I linked to it, here is my fundraising page. I've raised $200 dollars to date. That's good. But it's not good enough. Not just because my goal is $3,000. I'm really not that selfish. I want this money to go to the National Stroke Association because they do good work. They help health professionals like me get the word out about stroke - so that someday stroke will not be the #4 cause of death and a major cause of lasting disability. And for you younger folks out there reading: stroke does not just happen in the elderly. Watch this. After the marathon is over, I hope to start doing more community outreach programs through my job as stroke nurse. I want to visit schools and start talking to kids about stroke. Because it can happen at any age. And National Stroke Association is where I will turn for quality materials and ideas. That's one reason why I support them, and I hope that you will too.
Monday, September 09, 2013
Stroke Awareness Musical Event
Musician Gary Morse has agreed to perform for my National Stroke Association fundraiser! The date is confirmed for Tuesday September 24th at Rasta Pasta downtown Colorado Springs. The kitchen will shut down at 8, and Gary will start performing at that time... So if you want to partake of the delicious food there come a bit earlier. The bar will remain open through Gary's concert. And remember, this concert will benefit National Stroke Association and my humble quest to run in the most famous marathon in the world. Gary Morse is an incredible performer - you won't want to miss this! All proceeds will be donated to National Stroke Association. Can't wait to see you there!
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
You May Not Want to Read This... I'm Not Even Sure I Want to Write It.
Today, according to my training schedule, should have been a cross-training strength day. I may pay minimal attention to that in a bit - perhaps some crunches and a few minutes of core exercises before bed. Really, I just wanted to run. Plans derailed by family drama. Yesterday's tempo run was pretty awesome. But although I'm starting this post by talking about my marathon, I'm going to take a sharp right turn here and start talking about the other thing plaguing my life right now.
Because I can't lie. I feel like shit. Emotional wreckage, upset stomach, the usual exhaustion.... Let me start closer to the beginning...
I used to work night shift as a nurse on the ICU. Up until June of this year, I'd worked nights almost uninterrupted for about 5 years - immediately on becoming an RN, that was the shift I worked. I took time off for the baby, I did a little stint as a home health nurse, but that's been my life for several years. I had come to feel like the zombie-half-life of a night shift worker was actually my normal state. In June I took this new job as Stroke Nurse - a regular day job. And I thought surely my exhaustion would disapate once I got ued to the new normal. Just a few weeks, and I would be raring with energy. Nope. SO wrong. I fall asleep in meetings. I nap at my desk (I set an alarm, it's only 15 minutes max... but still.. who does that shit?) I come dangerously close to sleeping behind the wheel. I feel physically ill I fight it so hard some days. It's embarassing, it's dangerous, and it pisses me off. SO I told my doctor. "Roll eyes" Her first question was, "Are you taking Benedryl?" Yeah - sure, thanks for assuming I'm a moron. Eventually she agreed to draw my blood. No anemia. Vitamin D a low normal, nothing remarkable there. So I started taking a million units of Vitamin D and signed up for a sleep study. That's tomorrow night. But I don't think that's the real problem.
Well in the mean time, being a nurse I'm inclined to think all the worst things. Chronic fatigue syndrome? I refuse. Cancer? Probably not. Depression. Now that one is a very real possibility. I have issues. Daddy issues. Mommy issues. self-esteem issues, a healthy dose of OCD, type AAA+, and hoarding runs in the family just for a little cherry on top. So why not depression too? Of course we're a good midwestern family - we don't talk about such things. Mental illness happens to other people. Not us. Never us.
Comparing notes with friends who have gone through therapy, medications, ECT... I've pretty much diagnosed myself. I'm not at the dangerous, suicidal level. Just at the 'some days it isn't worth getting out of bed' stage. Of course, I'm stubborn as hell so I do keep getting out of bed. And feeling miserable and exhausted. And as I write this, I feel like I should apologize to you Dear Reader. Because I'm not perfect. And I should be - in my head I should be... Unreasonable, but there you have it. I want to hold up a perfect image to the world and have it be true.
I emailed a therapist tonight. My husband had a disagreement (fight) with my mother at the dinner table and I fell apart inside a little bit. (Here's the part where I air our dirty underwear out in public, and my upright, midwestern mother will hate me for doing it) I made my first step toward asking for help. I'm admitting that I need help. I'm not perfect after all. Let's just see where this goes, shall we?
In the mean time - running helps. Figuring skating helps. Having a job with meaning, reading to my kids every night, writing, music - all helps. So, I'm sorry for taking this right turn into my own personal misery. I'll try to make the next post happier. Lots of people have it worse than I do. I know that. And I thank you for 'listening'. It helps. I'll get through this. I'm too damn stubborn not too.
And here's my obligitory link to my fundraising page: RIGHT HERE! (Don't feel obligated to give just because I just figuratively sobbed all over your shoulder)
Because I can't lie. I feel like shit. Emotional wreckage, upset stomach, the usual exhaustion.... Let me start closer to the beginning...
I used to work night shift as a nurse on the ICU. Up until June of this year, I'd worked nights almost uninterrupted for about 5 years - immediately on becoming an RN, that was the shift I worked. I took time off for the baby, I did a little stint as a home health nurse, but that's been my life for several years. I had come to feel like the zombie-half-life of a night shift worker was actually my normal state. In June I took this new job as Stroke Nurse - a regular day job. And I thought surely my exhaustion would disapate once I got ued to the new normal. Just a few weeks, and I would be raring with energy. Nope. SO wrong. I fall asleep in meetings. I nap at my desk (I set an alarm, it's only 15 minutes max... but still.. who does that shit?) I come dangerously close to sleeping behind the wheel. I feel physically ill I fight it so hard some days. It's embarassing, it's dangerous, and it pisses me off. SO I told my doctor. "Roll eyes" Her first question was, "Are you taking Benedryl?" Yeah - sure, thanks for assuming I'm a moron. Eventually she agreed to draw my blood. No anemia. Vitamin D a low normal, nothing remarkable there. So I started taking a million units of Vitamin D and signed up for a sleep study. That's tomorrow night. But I don't think that's the real problem.
Well in the mean time, being a nurse I'm inclined to think all the worst things. Chronic fatigue syndrome? I refuse. Cancer? Probably not. Depression. Now that one is a very real possibility. I have issues. Daddy issues. Mommy issues. self-esteem issues, a healthy dose of OCD, type AAA+, and hoarding runs in the family just for a little cherry on top. So why not depression too? Of course we're a good midwestern family - we don't talk about such things. Mental illness happens to other people. Not us. Never us.
Comparing notes with friends who have gone through therapy, medications, ECT... I've pretty much diagnosed myself. I'm not at the dangerous, suicidal level. Just at the 'some days it isn't worth getting out of bed' stage. Of course, I'm stubborn as hell so I do keep getting out of bed. And feeling miserable and exhausted. And as I write this, I feel like I should apologize to you Dear Reader. Because I'm not perfect. And I should be - in my head I should be... Unreasonable, but there you have it. I want to hold up a perfect image to the world and have it be true.
I emailed a therapist tonight. My husband had a disagreement (fight) with my mother at the dinner table and I fell apart inside a little bit. (Here's the part where I air our dirty underwear out in public, and my upright, midwestern mother will hate me for doing it) I made my first step toward asking for help. I'm admitting that I need help. I'm not perfect after all. Let's just see where this goes, shall we?
In the mean time - running helps. Figuring skating helps. Having a job with meaning, reading to my kids every night, writing, music - all helps. So, I'm sorry for taking this right turn into my own personal misery. I'll try to make the next post happier. Lots of people have it worse than I do. I know that. And I thank you for 'listening'. It helps. I'll get through this. I'm too damn stubborn not too.
And here's my obligitory link to my fundraising page: RIGHT HERE! (Don't feel obligated to give just because I just figuratively sobbed all over your shoulder)
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Circling
Thoughts are circling, much like buzzards in my head waiting patiently for my guard to drop so they can swoop in - with some kind of brilliant ephany I'm hoping. In the mean time I'm not the least sleepy. This is somewhat shocking because I tossed and turned essentially all night last night. A busy mind. Not a beautiful one. Just busy.
One of these buzzards comes from this article by Shankar Vedantam on All Things Considered (NPR). In a nutshell it says that as we individually become wealthier, we rely on each other less and people become less inclined to give. Perhaps this is why after several weeks of badgering my Facebook friends to support my fundraising, I have had 4 donations. (Very nice, generous donations that I very much appreciate) Of course, it may also be the still poor economy and that many of my friends are struggling to make ends meet, keep their jobs, keep food on their plates and a roof over their heads. I don't know. I'm not really complaining. I have other, more successful ventures underway, and giving for the sake of giving is... well... I don't do it much, so how can I fault others?
Along that line of thinking, I believe that I may go perform some random acts of giving tonight. I'm feeling restless, so why not? I'm going to go find two people on Twitter and randomly donate a few dollars for whatever cause they have. Well, semi-random... I'll probably pick runners. I like runners.
And here's why I'm feeling like performing some random acts of generosity. Today I made a new contact with a local musician who is willing to perform and donate all the proceeds (admission price) to my fundraiser. I'm floored by this man, previously unknown to me. How generous to immediately offer his time and talent when asked by a complete stranger. Gary Moore - today's inspiration. Stroke awareness is a cause that is important to him - but how cool to say "Sure, I'll perform, I even know a place and I'll arrange it with the manager and get back to you with a date and time." Which is basically how our conversation went after 'Hi'. So, now I don't really have much in the way of planning to do - and my goal for the week is complete. I will have to see how well this one goes, and might have to do a second one (same place, different musicians? different place? I don't know)... $3,000 is a lot, and I'm a long way from that.
Here is my suggestion for further reading about stroke and heart disease (the two frequently come together, after all). If you are reading, please take note of the ABCS: your modifiable risk factors for stroke - Take your Aspirin (when appropriate - talk to your doctor/NP), control your Blood pressure, control your Cholesterol, Stop SMOKING (for crying out loud, who doesn't know this one by now!) I can't help myself, I'm a mother AND a nurse - sometimes I get a little preachy, but it's usually for your own good.
Now - if you haven't already, please visit my fundraising page. And I'm serious - even $10 means a lot to me. I need you.
One of these buzzards comes from this article by Shankar Vedantam on All Things Considered (NPR). In a nutshell it says that as we individually become wealthier, we rely on each other less and people become less inclined to give. Perhaps this is why after several weeks of badgering my Facebook friends to support my fundraising, I have had 4 donations. (Very nice, generous donations that I very much appreciate) Of course, it may also be the still poor economy and that many of my friends are struggling to make ends meet, keep their jobs, keep food on their plates and a roof over their heads. I don't know. I'm not really complaining. I have other, more successful ventures underway, and giving for the sake of giving is... well... I don't do it much, so how can I fault others?
Along that line of thinking, I believe that I may go perform some random acts of giving tonight. I'm feeling restless, so why not? I'm going to go find two people on Twitter and randomly donate a few dollars for whatever cause they have. Well, semi-random... I'll probably pick runners. I like runners.
And here's why I'm feeling like performing some random acts of generosity. Today I made a new contact with a local musician who is willing to perform and donate all the proceeds (admission price) to my fundraiser. I'm floored by this man, previously unknown to me. How generous to immediately offer his time and talent when asked by a complete stranger. Gary Moore - today's inspiration. Stroke awareness is a cause that is important to him - but how cool to say "Sure, I'll perform, I even know a place and I'll arrange it with the manager and get back to you with a date and time." Which is basically how our conversation went after 'Hi'. So, now I don't really have much in the way of planning to do - and my goal for the week is complete. I will have to see how well this one goes, and might have to do a second one (same place, different musicians? different place? I don't know)... $3,000 is a lot, and I'm a long way from that.
Here is my suggestion for further reading about stroke and heart disease (the two frequently come together, after all). If you are reading, please take note of the ABCS: your modifiable risk factors for stroke - Take your Aspirin (when appropriate - talk to your doctor/NP), control your Blood pressure, control your Cholesterol, Stop SMOKING (for crying out loud, who doesn't know this one by now!) I can't help myself, I'm a mother AND a nurse - sometimes I get a little preachy, but it's usually for your own good.
Now - if you haven't already, please visit my fundraising page. And I'm serious - even $10 means a lot to me. I need you.
Monday, September 02, 2013
It's Late
And I should really be asleep. But I've noticed, if I don't write - people don't read. And the fewer people that read, the fewer people I get my message to. So... I'm writing a quick update, and hoping that it finds new readers as well as the old.
It was a good Labor Day weekend, and I got some much needed rest, and an even more needed long run. I'm up to 16 miles, and oh my goodness did it hurt! But it's done, and the confidence booster is that next week when I do 18, it probably won't hurt quite as much.
Next weekend is also the weekend I hike Pikes Peak for the Brain Injury Alliance. My husband will be there with me, and it should be lots of fun. Mostly because it's a supported hike, and one way only - van rides down.
I have businesses to thank: Black Forest Pies & Grinders, Table Rock LLamas Yarn, Black Forest Auto, and R&R Coffee have all generously allowed me to take up counter space with my donation jars (though sadly no donations from those sources as of Friday - but I never give up!)
AND I'm so excited to announce that my fundraising bracelets from Project Bead have arrived. They are beautiful! I'm having technical difficulties posting my pictures tonight, so please check out the link to Project Bead and look at the MeganStrong Bracelets. I'm selling them - buy them from me! I promise pictures later.
That's all for now folks! Remember to visit my fundraising page, if you haven't already, and give! Every little bit counts, and it's less than 6 weeks to the NYC Marathon. Your generosity gives me motivation on my long runs - knowing that people are rooting for me helps me stay on track.
It was a good Labor Day weekend, and I got some much needed rest, and an even more needed long run. I'm up to 16 miles, and oh my goodness did it hurt! But it's done, and the confidence booster is that next week when I do 18, it probably won't hurt quite as much.
Next weekend is also the weekend I hike Pikes Peak for the Brain Injury Alliance. My husband will be there with me, and it should be lots of fun. Mostly because it's a supported hike, and one way only - van rides down.
I have businesses to thank: Black Forest Pies & Grinders, Table Rock LLamas Yarn, Black Forest Auto, and R&R Coffee have all generously allowed me to take up counter space with my donation jars (though sadly no donations from those sources as of Friday - but I never give up!)
AND I'm so excited to announce that my fundraising bracelets from Project Bead have arrived. They are beautiful! I'm having technical difficulties posting my pictures tonight, so please check out the link to Project Bead and look at the MeganStrong Bracelets. I'm selling them - buy them from me! I promise pictures later.
That's all for now folks! Remember to visit my fundraising page, if you haven't already, and give! Every little bit counts, and it's less than 6 weeks to the NYC Marathon. Your generosity gives me motivation on my long runs - knowing that people are rooting for me helps me stay on track.
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