Goodbye, Dorothy Gale!
I turned in my resignation yesterday. My husband did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Farewell parties have been held, apartment lease is over, the cats are trained to go in a pet carrier. Yes, we are leaving beautiful Kansas City, and while it's sad to say goodbye to good friends, we're very excited because of new opportunities in Chicago where John has a new job.
For the first time in my life, I really feel like I'm leaving my home-away-from-home behind. It is a bittersweet depart; we go with boxes full of dreams to start a new life in a magnificent city, a place we both love, a place we're familiar with, a place we have always wanted to go. John's family is there, so that's a big plus and probably the main reason why he accepted the offer.
These last 3 years of my life are amongst the best. Not only because I started rebuilding my life next to a wonderful man in a wonderful place, but also because of all the people I've met. Each one of you has enriched my life in a very special way. We've had our ups and downs in the land of Dorothy because that is human nature, but Kansas City will remain one of my favorite places in the world and I'm sure we'll be back.
I can't do the list thing like my husband did; I don't want to experience the wrath of Meesha (hey! you're the only one named here!) but I want to thank you all for the good times, the support, the laughs, the beers, the monthly blogger meet-ups, the tweet-ups, the opportunities to do volunteering, the good food, the company, the impromptu lunches, the Battlestar Galactica games, the many bottles of wine you've provided, the fun stories, the drama, the intrigue.
But most of all, I want to thank you for opening the doors of your house and your heart to us. For me, you are family, you will always be. I hope to see you in Chitown, so we can continue having fun and John and I can feed you real Colombian feed cooked by the masters.
God bless you all, I will miss you... like the deserts miss the rain. :-)
I’ll Walk to Fight Diabetes
I went to see my endocrinologist last week; I hadn't seen her in a long time. In my defense, I made sure that even if I could not see her, I at least made an appointment with my PCP to have regular check-ups and blood tests done. I was, however, very regretful for not seeing the endo earlier. Anyway...
My A1C levels are still within the normal range (keep in mind I have diabetes, so normal for me may be high for others). I have lost 10 pounds without even making an effort, and she celebrated it as if I was the winner of the "Biggest Loser" contest. That's why I like my endo so much; she encourages people to keep trying and doesn't bring them down for stuff like bad cholesterol levels (yes, I haz dem, she increased Zocor dose).
The rather successful visit to the endo makes part of my new motivation and I'm very happy about it. When I told her I was doing the ADA StepOut: Walk to Fight Diabetes, she gave me a nice high-five. I guess doctors like patients who are aware of their conditions and pro-active about them. I'm trying. I should try harder, but I'm getting there.
That being said, diabetes is something patients can manage with discipline. But there is still so much to do. That's why I try to be part of campaigns to educate people and share our experience. That's why this year I'm completely elated to have my own StepOut Team: Bea's Friends for Diabetes. I've received an amazing response from my friends with donations and their willingness to join me on that day.
I've been in contact with the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association and I'll be meeting with their coordinator next week to discuss the possibility of joining the StepOut organizing committee next year. I can't wait to get more active, especially now that I'm an ambassador for the Diabetes Hands Foundation. Being able to transmit information about my condition makes me want to learn more about it, and manage it much better.
So, if you're not doing anything special on September 26th at 9 a.m. come and join us at the Theis Park in Kansas City, MO. Make part of my team and walk with me to fight diabetes. If you can't make it to the walk, consider making a donation (even a small amount makes a world of difference). Thank you so much for all the support!
¡Oye, yo también hablo Español!
This is what happens to me for being so fair-skinned and looking like I'm from who knows where. I've been asked if I'm Lebanese, Jewish, Portuguese, etc. Latina? Not that often.
I stop at the McDonald's drive-thru any given day of last week and see they have "Buy one McCafé, get one free" promotion going on. So I ask the girl to give me a latte and a mocha. I make sure I got it right about the free coffee, she says it's OK and I proceed to the 1st window. I pay for the goods without questioning the price, and when I go to the pick-up window they are all going cuckoo because apparently they charged me for two coffees and they are NOT going to tell me. They are all talking in Spanish, assuming that I won't understand. Well, dudes, I do!
Next thing you know I'm asking the manager "Are you going to charge me for the second coffee? Wasn't I supposed to get it for free?" - He starts babbling, obviously surprised that I speak Spanish, and the rest of the staff look at each other like they're in front of a Marian apparition or something. So I tell them it's a shame they think they can fool customers like that. The coffee issue was taken care of, but next time I hear a Spanish accent on that speaker, I will speak Spanish, too. Don't they hear my own freaking accent?
Can’t make it to BlogHer?
For those of us who aren't joining the debauchery at the BlogHer Conference this year, a local blogger decided we should get together and toast ourselves here in KC!
So Thursday, July 23rd, at the Peanut in Overland Park - 127th & Metcalf, 6 to 9 or so. Feel free to forward the invitation to other blogger friends who may want to come!
All the things I want to do!
Some days I wake up and I feel like saving the world. Other days I want to save myself. I think about making one of those life lists many people are so fond of. I think about all the things I haven't done and I want to do it all. Then I stop myself thinking about mundane things such as money... Meh! And then I realize that many of the things I want to do I can start doing them locally and on a low budget. The problem is, I don't know where to start.
My husband and I have been talking more and more about becoming vegetarians. I personally think I would be OK if I can eat fish, so make me a Pescetarian (yes, such term exists). And I think we're leaning more and more towards it, for many reasons, mostly health-wise, but also the moral dilemma of eating animals. I can throw the whole biological issue in, talking about how our digestive system is not really designed for meat and all that... But oh well, you can read about it somewhere in the Internet. Now I'm researching, going through books on Amazon and figuring out what is the next step. I don't want to give up meat to end up filling the gaps with unhealthy stuff, and most of all I want to see if giving up some things in my diet will improve my blood glucose levels. It's certainly and adventure, and I don't want to be overwhelmed by it.
Another thing I want to do is becoming more conscious about the impact I have on the planet. I used to be this person obsessed with recycling, but I don't think I've ever taken the time to really make an effort to reduce my waste, and I'm certainly NOT the poster child for good decisions when it comes to managing my resources. But I believe thinking about it is the first step, and there is this global awareness going on that makes me want to act. I call myself a tree-hugger because I'm concerned for the future of Earth, but I really should try harder, and I'm going to.
And declutter... I have to! I have the feeling this month will be the time to do it. There are so many things I simply don't need! I remember when I moved to the U.S., I felt so light, there was so little baggage, there were just the basics. And now I look at my drawers, my closets, my bags and I wonder where all this stuff came from. It's hard to breathe when you there is so much clutter around.
Once I start making conscious decisions about my own health and my way of living, then I will be able to move forward to other things. But for now, this will do. And I'm feeling excited.
