Coffee Talk over Tunes

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures". --Thornton Wilder

Two things that I’m thankful for today:

1. Songs that let me be 16 years old again – There are just certain songs that I love rocking out to in my car as I drive down the highway, hopefully with no one in close sight, so I can sing as loudly as I want, do a little karo-acting at the wheel, and leave my worries on the side of the road.  I’m not kidding when I say that these songs (for me) truly make me feel better after I turn them on, turn up the volume & just close my eyes (which is why no one needs to be close) and pretend I’m on stage.  I hope you know what I’m talking about.  If not, will you just pretend so I don’t feel so silly & immature?!  Or how about this…turn them on tomorrow & see what you think for yourself.  Some great examples:

Rhianna – We Found Love

Katy Perry – Teenage Dream or Last Friday Night

Selena Gomez – Love You like a Love Song (I know what that Justin Bieber kid sees in her!  She can really belt out a tune!)

Cascada – Evacuate the Dance floor – you know this song even if you think you don’t!  You know that catchy Xbox 360 commercial with all the people dancing to the game?  Yep, that’s it!  Now you’re nodding your head, aren’t you?!  Pretty good tune, huh?

2. Peppermint Mocha Coffeemate – So, I’m pretty sure Starbucks shoots some kind of chemical gas/drug through their store vents starting around October 1.  No matter what I go in for, I always come out with a venti machi-frappa-salted-caramal-extra-whip-no-soy-add-caffeine latte.  And a CD (of some artist I’ve never heard of).  And a travel mug.  And a bag of coffee beans.  And a pack of breath mints.   And a newspaper.  None of which I set out to buy when I entered the joint.  I went in to buy a gift card & left without it.  Cause of the chemical gas/drug they shoot through the vents.  So…you can only imagine my delight when I discovered that Coffeemate was going to start carrying a Peppermint Mocha flavored creamer for coffee.  Seriously, yall, it’s what gets me out of bed some mornings.  A peppermint mocha is a favorite of mine from Starbucks, but I really can’t justify going to that drugged environment for one thing (the coffee) & always leaving with so much more (the cd, mug, coffee beans, mints & newspaper).  Now I can avoid the gas, get my java & save a few bucks, too.  Hahahaha Starbucks….Coffeemate is on to you!  Just wait till they come out with their own CD’s & breath mints.  Then you’re really going to be in trouble.  Check this out in the freezer/refrigerated section of your local grocery store.  It’s absolutely delish…

xoxo,

Kim 

Giving Thanks

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them” - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

So, a couple of weeks ago I made a commitment to take baby steps to being more grateful and appreciative.  That promise, coupled with the fact that it’s now November – the month of Thanksgiving – sparked an idea to keep this blog going.  I’m now going to use this as a platform to openly recognize & give thanks for the many people, places & things in my life that give me joy & make my heart overflow with happiness.  Or, in Oprah terms, make it a public gratitude journal.  I’m not sure that anyone will be remotely interested in reading anymore; however, it’ll be undeniably therapeutic for me.  And, who knows?!  Maybe you will enjoy reading & it’ll get you thinking (and thanking), too.  This Thanksgiving conversation will, hopefully, be better than some you’ve had at your family’s table.  I know it’ll beat the heck out of some of mine (Oops…did I really just say that out loud?!).

Three things that I’m thankful for today:

1.      Steve Jobs eulogy from his sister – I read this eulogy this morning before I left for work.  I had no idea what I was getting myself in to when I began reading.  I have been touched by all the great quotes & stories that have surfaced since his death, but I honestly knew very little about Steve Jobs – other than the fact that he was the mastermind behind the computer I use at home every night.  If I heard his name or saw his face on the television screen, I’d probably be inclined to immediately start thinking about how much money he had or how incredibly successful he was.  His vision & way of thinking was foreign to me.  But I could still be envious of his many accomplishments - and that’s what I would have been thinking about…NOT about a regular down-to-earth man.  Before I was halfway through reading the piece written by his sister, I was crying.  I’m so thankful that I was able to catch a glimpse of this brilliant man’s real life & not just the life that I “knew” before his death – of a computer guru who changed technology & our world.  I loved it when his sister said “Even as a feminist, my whole life I’d been waiting for a man to love, who could love me. For decades, I’d thought that man would be my father. When I was 25, I met that man and he was my brother”.  It was so touching, too, to know that when he went searching for his long, lost sister, he was already rich & famous.  That fame & fortune clearly did not change him.  Strip him of those accomplishments, awards, the fortune & fame and he was just a real man who was in love with a woman and a Dad who was in love with his children.  He was loyal and whimsical and romantic and willing to be misunderstood.  I never would have known these things if I had not read this eulogy.  I would have been guilty of only thinking of those material things that do not make a life.  I never would have known these things that Steve Jobs probably would prefer to be remembered for… What a great reminder that, in the end, we’re all the same.  It doesn’t matter what we did for a living or how much money we made.  It doesn’t matter what kind of car we drove or how big of a house we lived in.  What matters are the relationships in your life and living with the mindset that no one is promised tomorrow – even the rich & famous.  So take advantage of today.  Go be whimsical or romantic & take a chance – even if you are misunderstood! 

2.      Road trips – this time of year always reminds me of taking road trips, mainly because every fall (in college) my friends & I always figured out some good reason(s) to hop in someone’s clunker of a car and head out of town for the weekend.  Sometimes it was an away football game; sometimes it was a concert; it always included us singing loudly to mixed tapes in the stereo (yep, cassette tapes); sunflower seeds to chew & spit out of the windows (how lady-like) and  pillows piled up in the backseat for whomever was on “break” from driving.  I’ve seen Nashville & Vanderbilt’s campus from the front seat of a Mitsubishi Eclipse; viewed the snowy mountains of Crested Butte, Colorado, from the back seat of an Oldsmobile;  cruised College Station & Austin, TX, from the driver’s seat of Bertha (Aimee’s very old Buick that didn’t have air or heat or a radio - so we brought our own boom box).  These trips always took a lot longer than we anticipated, but also always exceeded our expectations with the number of funny stories we had to recollect.  I can’t wait till my boys are old enough to get excited about planning family vacations & hopefully embrace the idea of a road trip, too.  I will have to tell them about the first road trip Sarah & I took together.  It was early in our relationship; she was living in Atlanta & I was still living in New Orleans.  We spent every weekend traveling already (someone was always traveling to the other), so we thought a nice change would be to plan a road trip together.  So, we both flew in to Hartford, CT, and rented a car - we were going to see the east coast!   Our route was incredible!  We drove through Connecticut to NYC to Philadelphia to Washington, DC, to the Outer Banks, NC, to Charleston, SC, to Savannah, GA, to our final stop, Atlanta.  We had friends to see in almost every city.  We ate at restaurants we’d seen or heard mentioned on The Food Network (my cholesterol is still out of whack from Paula Deen’s buffet in Savannah).  We took tons of pictures & had a ball seeing so much of the country – for the first time – together.  My favorite part of remembering this trip, though, involves the snacks we packed to bring along.  Before we left, we were on the phone one night discussing what all we needed to bring with us.  It was the middle of winter, so we knew that warm clothes, gloves & a real winter coat were necessities.  I, also, got the idea of packing snacks 1) because I know how often Sarah likes to stop and peruse the candy aisle of any ol’ truck stop or convenience store and 2) because I was not going to run the risk of getting trapped in the rental car in a snowstorm and have to search high & low for left-behind ketchup packets or sticks of gum to survive (I have clearly watched too many 48 Hours Mystery episodes).  We both agreed it was a good idea to throw some substantial snacks in our suitcase, so I decided on trail mix, granola bars, dried fruit & gummi bears.  I was quite proud of my responsible, disciplined decisions.  Sarah, on the other hand, greeted me at the airport in Hartford with a can of Slim Jim beef jerky sticks & a bag of War Heads (the insanely sour candy that makes your tongue turn numb).  She was 100% serious & incredibly happy with her decision of what food to bring.  She wasn’t the least bit concerned about the lack of nutritional value or vitamin content that War Heads offered.  She was excited to see, out of the two of us, who could keep one of them in their mouth the longest.  If I wasn’t already smitten & giddy with this new love, I was now.  Hook, line & sinker.  (BTW, she – of course – won the War Head eating contest! And, no, none of my boring, healthy snacks got eaten along the way).

3.      Girlfriends – I still haven’t come down off the high I got being with Cati & Alice & Team Diamond Stone in Atlanta.  I have looked through the pictures time & time again, trying to relive the moments they were taken & have laughed out loud (even by myself in the car) thinking about some of the hilarious conversations we had as we covered 60 miles.  Because of that, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I am overwhelmingly thankful for the girlfriends – old & new - in my life. 

·         For all the friends who texted me, sent me emails & Facebook messages and, even, notes about how much they enjoyed the blog – thank you!

·         For Sara Miller – who filled a goodie bag with “happies” before my trip – thank you! 

·         For Katie Kreller Tardiff – who sent me the most heartfelt hand-written letter & keychain that says “Kim fights like a girl” – thank you!

·         For Sarah, my partner in this life of crime - who held down the fort for 4 whole days while I was gone – thank you!

·         To all my friends - for loving me, I am eternally grateful.

I heard a sweet story the other day that sums up everything about girls and their girlfriends.  A man was coaching his 8-year-old daughters Little League team when the batter hit a ground ball and it went right to the shortstop.  She scooped it up and promptly threw it to center field. 

After the game, the coach pulled the shortstop aside and said, ”That was a great pickup you made on that grounder.  But I know that you know the ball should have been thrown to first base.  So tell me, how come you threw it to center field instead?”

The player just looked at her coach incredously and said, ”because she’s my best friend.”

xoxo,
Kim

A "Bust" of a Weekend

Here's my version of the out-takes reel you see at the end of movies.  They always make me laugh & they're always set to fun music.  So....turn up "I Got A Feelin'" by The Blackeyed Peas and get your giggle on...

I came home to this adorable gift bag last week.  Before I even left for Atlanta, my sweet friend, Sara Miller, dropped this off at my back door.  It was filled with Aleve, sun screen, candy, pink bling to wear during the walk and this awesome sign: Geaux, Kim, Geaux!!  Thank you SO much, Sara! 

Tear-jerker at the Opening Ceremony

Random wall of bras!

The pin Cati wore on her pack during the walk!  heehee

Tom had Jerry (or was that Ben that had Jerry?).  Roseanne had Jackie.  Laverne had Shirley.  Shaggy had Scooby. 

And, Team Diamond Stone had Madge, the mutant rodent with a potty mouth and a taste for the booze.

Here she highjacked Mary's photo op.

She was pretty fiesty at the Opening Ceremony.

She complained a lot about blisters.  So much so that she tried hitching a ride on the back of this Harley.  We quickly put her in her place and reminded her why we were all there.

You may not be able to tell, but she's sticking her tongue out at us here.

 

She finally cracked at the end.  The heat and fatigue just got to her.  Alice was the victim of her hate crime.  See if we ever include her in another team event.

And, finally, one final shot of Team Diamond Stone.  Exhausted.  Blistered. Worn.  (except for Betty).

xoxo,

Kim

Thanks for the Mammaries!

"We will NEVER give up!"  - Dr. Sheri Phillips. 

These were the last words spoken at the closing ceremony yesterday afternoon at Turner Field in downtown Atlanta, GA.  These were the last words spoken after it was announced that the Atlanta 3-Day raised $6.2 million dollars for breast cancer research, advocacy & patient assistance.  These were the lastwords spoken after 2,400 walkers finished a 60 mile journey in & around Atlanta.  These were the last words spoken - out loud, by the masses, for the universe the hear. 

But, even before that a lot of cool things happened, too!

Here's a shot of Team Diamond Stone on Sunday morning.  Despite the cute smiles on our faces, a lot of us were hurting & struggling pretty bad with blisters, sore muscles and hangovers (WHAT?!  Just Kidding.  Just wanted to see if you were paying attention).    Our sign reads:  THANKS!  You ROCK!  From Team Diamond Stone.  And it was made for YOU - our kind & generous friends who've sponsored & supported us throughout this adventure. 

Here's a shot of me, Mary, Cati and Melissa.  This photo is taken is Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta. 

How much do you love this guy?  I'm pretty sure he didn't have a voice when he woke up this morning.  He screamed and cheered and yelled and encouraged us NON-STOP through Freedom Park!  I wish I could put him in my pocket and keep him for regular ol' work days when I need some inspiration. 

Our #1 fans, Maleah & Kyle, surprised us at Freedom Park!!  How AWESOME was it to see them there, with a sign in hand, waiting for us when we still had about 5 miles left before the finish line?!  You really can't imagine how much of spirit boost it is to have your own fan club cheering you on!  We love you Maleah & Kyle!  Thank you so much for spending your Sunday with us!

And, here we are.  Team Diamond Stone at Turner Field after finishing the 60 mile trek.  Our sign says: "Thanks for the Mammaries!"

Here we are again giving a shot out to our dear friend, Miss Lorelei Schuman, with a sign that says: "Miss Lorelei - We Walked 60 Miles for You!"  She's a Crimmins family friend who's kicking cancer's ass right now.  Please include her in your good thoughts & healing prayers. 

Cati & Mary's Aunt Lucy was just diagnosed with breast cancer, so they wanted to make sure she knew they were thinking of her at this very special time.

Cati & I wanted to give a shout out to my aunt Michelle Heidelberg and Granny Jane Becker Heidelberg.  I carried you both in my heart every step of the way.  I love you both dearly and am so thankful I am a part of your family. 

Ok, so this fella had on a t-shirt worth documenting.  What do you think?  I like it a lot. 

Cati & her friend, Lynne, at Turner Field.  Do you notice the pin on Lynne's right side?  It's a picture of Cati that she wore throughout the race.  How sweet is that?!

This is my new friend, Tina.  I noticed her from a distance when her shirt caught my eye.  In case you can't read it, it says:  "I would walk to the ends of the earth to bring you back."  When I read those words, I stopped dead in my tracks.  It hurt my heart to wonder who it was she was talking about?  How many people in your life would make you feel that way? 

For my friend, Tina, it was her Mom. 

Here we are showing off our new t-shirts!!!  woohoo!!!  Walkers got white shirts and survivors got pink shirts.  At this moment, not a single one of us felt a blister or sore muscle....we were high on adrenaline and the joy of the moment!  What a fun celebration to mark the end of our journey!!!  I must have high-fived 762 people - at least!!!!

Alice promised some of her sponsors that she'd give a shout out to some special people during the walk.  She decided to put their names on her bandana.  Pretty cool, Al-Gal!!!

Dr. Sheri Phillips on stage at the closing ceremony!  She was pretty amazing!!! 

This might be my one of my favorite shots out of all that I got throughout the weekend.  This is the shoe salute that all walkers & crew members gave to the survivors as they made their way in to the center of our circle.  We all took off one of the shoes we had worn on the 60-mile journey and raised it in the air as they made their way in to the group.  It was a tribute to them & their fight and to let them know that they are why we did what we just did. 

And just like that...it was over.  Alice & I suddenly couldn't walk another step.  heehee

In all seriousness, here's a shot of my sweet friend, Cati Diamond Stone, and her daughter, Leah Diamond Stone.  If, at any point, you forgot or don't know why I just walked 60 miles in 3 days - here's your answer. 

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”
― Mother Teresa

xoxo,

Kim

These Boobs Are Made For Walking

Hey Everybody!!!  Day 2 is done.  Yippee!!  40 miles down & only 20 more to go!  We have all commented on how differently we felt today (at the finish) compared to yesterday's finish.  We were all completely exhausted yesterday - emotionally.  Today we are all completely sore, riddled with blisters and unusual aches & pains.  We've got a line formed in the kitchen to get our ibuprofen and ice cold beer.  That IS just what the doctor ordered,  right?!  :-)

Today's walk took us from the World Congress Center downtown and made a giant loop around Atlanta.  We had more amazing cheer stations, but the one that stands out the most (to me) was the Girl Scouts troop who came out in their homemade t-shirts and handed out frozen fruit kabobs (which ROCKED, by the way!).  What a great example their troop leaders set for those young girls.  They're too young to participate in this event as a walker, but you're NEVER too young to be an activist, an advocate or campaigner.

I'm going to go on the record and tell you:  I'm a little nervous about tomorrow.  I've got a blister on my left foot that covers about 1/2 the foot.  My left shin is pretty much on fire and my right knee doesn't want to bend anymore.  Good times, people!!!  But, this is what it's all about.  I have been surrounded by women the past 2 days who've been to hell & back.  These women have endured surgeries & chemotherapy.  They've heard words spoken to them that would easily knock me to my knees.  They have had a disease enter & take over their body without their damn permission.  They have fought like hell to be alive & when they walk every step of the 20 miles we're tackling (daily) - they take them with joy in their step, with gratitude in their heart and with strength & perseverance running through their veins.

I cried a few times again today.  Once was at the end of one of the BEST cheering stations we've seen so far.  It was at Lindberg Station & there were so many people there cheering us on it was unbelievable.  But, at the very end when we were leaving the crowds and entering a long stretch of our route that would be "fan-less" I looked back.  The scene took my breath away.  I saw my fellow walkers making their way through the crowds, holding their heads high with pride.  I started crying.  I thought immediately about how proud I will be on the day we find out that a cure has been found.  Proud that I was a part of something so incredible and life-changing.  And, when I say life-changing I do not mean only to those who have had cancer.

How cute is this team of superheroes from North Georgia?

Another fun team!!!

How great is this team shirt?  Kim.Loves.It.

How hilarious is this?!

3 Little Pigs came to cheer us on!

Here's where we enjoyed our lunch today!!!  Happy Mardi Bras!!!

One of our many adoring fans waiting for us at Lindberg Station!

Same funny guy from yesterday!  ha!

Amazing survivor/walker!  She just had surgery 2 weeks ago.  I have GOT to quit complaining!

Another great team t-shirt!!  

One of the funniest fans we saw ALL day!

It's time for me to grab another beer...I mean, turn in for the night.  heehee  Hope you all had a great Saturday!  Love you all lots & can't wait to update you from the finish line.  

xoxo,

Kim

It Didn't Get the Breast of Us - Part Two

Here's a wall that was set up at the Opening Ceremony.  Participants were encouraged to fill the wall with the names of those we were all walking for....

Here's Team Diamond Stone's bubble: For Cati and Leah (her 2 year old daughter)

Here's Cati, our team captain & breast cancer survivor, with Dr. Sheri Phillips, the national spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen & breast cancer survivor!  

How cute are these sisters who followed us to numerous spots on the course throughout Day 1?!

One of my favorite team shirts from Day 1:  Fight Like A Girl!  Never Give Up

Team Diamond Stone at lunch on Day 1.  12 miles down...8 to go!  

This fellow is one of my favorites!  Can you read his signs?  "Go Enter Your Name Here" on one sign and "I Don't Know You, But You Are My Hero" on the other.  HILARIOUS!!!

'Nuff said.

Stone Mountain Park - the beautiful spot where our event began on 10/21/2011

One of the adorable signs made by the school kids cheering us on in Decatur!

Lady Left is a 6 year survivor & Lady Right is a 20 year survivor with 11 3-Day walks already under her belt!!!  WOW.

Kim, Cati, Alice & Madge (on Alice's head) at the end of 20 miles