Cover your cough

Work has been crazy lately. While this is normally my busiest time of year, I get an extra dose of busy this fall because of H1N1 (swine flu). No, I don’t have it (yet), but I sure have learned a lot about it over the past five months—having been tossed into the realm of pandemic planning and communication for the large health care system where I work.

So what have I learned exactly? Well, more than I ever wanted to know about N95 masks, antiviral prophylaxis and nasopharyngeal swabs. I’ve also learned that crisis communications is not really my forte. Sure, it’s an exciting adrenaline rush for the first 14-hour day, but after several weeks of never knowing what the day’s emergency will be—not so exciting anymore.

But most importantly, I’ve learned that we probably don’t have a whole lot to worry about when it comes to this latest outbreak. Even so, our hospitals and clinics have to plan for the worst-case scenario, which is very overwhelming.

I leave you with some sound advice for protecting yourself from the flu this fall. I think Dr. Clarke says it best. Don’t you agree?

(No, Dr. Clarke doesn’t work for my employer, but if he did, I’m pretty sure we’d be good friends.) I’m off to go recruit my own rapping doctor now. Talk about a homerun for my communications plan!

12 steps for everyone

Those who know me know that my involvement with music at my church is a big part of my life. This year that commitment involved the addition of co-leading the large group music/worship time at a weekly ministry called Celebrate Recovery (CR). (And by “co-leading” I mean I just show up and sing while my husband does the other 90% of the work.) CR is a nationally recognized, Christian-based recovery ministry for people struggling with all kinds of life issues—from various addictions, codependency, depression, family members of people with these issues, etc. Incidentally, the CR meetings at my church were featured in this month’s issue of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle if you care to check it out in detail.

Here’s the interesting thing I have learned through my weekly attendance during a portion of these meetings… the 12 steps that everyone associates with AA and other programs aimed at addictions are totally applicable to every person on the planet. Suggestions like turning our lives/will over to God, asking God to remove our character defects, admitting wrongs, making amends, etc. amount to guidance we could all use to enjoy more freedom from the heavy stuff of life that we all deal with in varying degrees during our lives. I guess that realization has been somewhat of an aha moment for me. I’m no different than the other fantastic people at CR who are trying to gain some victory over their “hurts, habits, and hang-ups.” I don’t know if that knowledge makes me feel more or less “normal,” but it has definitely given me more awareness of some valuable steps. And getting those weekly reminders of biblically based recovery principles has actually been good for me, so I just thought I’d pass it on!

One of those days

Well friends, it’s been an exhausting week for me. It started with a very unpleasant, middle-of-the-night encounter with a large insect in my home (seriously, if I would’ve been awake enough, I would’ve taken a picture and sent it to the Guinness Book of World Records). That was followed by a series of long, dreadful days at work. Granted, I’ve accepted the fact that September and October are never going to be “fun” at my job, but I’ll get through it.

And to end my week, I hit a wall. Literally. Yesterday I ran into a wall. In my own house. (And I used to be a dancer!) My arm is so painfully bruised right now that I have to keep looking at it to confirm that it really isn’t a gunshot wound.

When life has me frustrated, it always helps to turn up some music really loud and just scream along, er, I mean, sing along. I have a few favorites to turn up that really help me let off steam: Plumb’s Solace is one of them. With a chorus that says “Grab it. Kick it. Smash it. Love it. Loathe it” how can you not feel a little relief after that? And Linkin Park’s One Step Closer works well too. Of course, on the other end of the music spectrum, I get to go to church tonight and sing some great worship music, which also helps to keep things in perspective and remember Who is in control.

What about you? Any other music recommendations for those frustrating days?

While music helps, shopping does too. I bought a new butt-kicking power suit today to wear for some meetings this week. Tomorrow, I am a new woman!

I'm a gleek

I was a pretty busy high school student between academics, the dance team, church youth group activities, etc. But, my absolute best memories of high school involved being in our school’s show choir. Sure, it sounds cheesy that we would sing and dance in flashy outfits in national competitions (and even on a cruise ship). It may not have been the coolest activity at school, but the group did include a few football and basketball players who could sing and dance with the best of them. It was, at a minimum, a socially acceptable activity at Bloomington Jefferson Senior High. Lucky for you, we didn’t have You Tube in 1997, so I’ll spare you my “Jefferson Connection” performances on video. You’ll just have to trust me that we were pretty darn good and brought home a few trophies back in the day. And, don't we all look fabulous in fuchsia?

Anyway, given my enthusiasm for show choir, you can probably understand my excitement and sheer elation over the latest show to debut this fall season: Glee. I’m not kidding you when I say I have never been this excited about a new TV show. (Ask my husband who can’t hold in his laughter when I literally jump up and down talking about this show. ) The show is about a high school teacher who tries to reinvent the high school glee club starting with a quirky group of outcasts and the high school quarterback who have failed to see their true potential. Some of the humor is definitely more adult, but the music is great, and the memories it inspires for a choir gal like me are enough to make this my most anticipated show of the fall season. You can pretty much bet this isn’t the last you’ve heard about Glee on this blog.

I miss recess

All the TV ads and store displays are telling me it's back-to-school time. And it reminds me…I miss going back to school (and yes, recess too)! The new outfits, the new teachers, the return of Italian Dunkers to my lunch menu. Those were the days. Growing up, I loved having a clean slate and feeling that nervous excitement that goes along with this official transition to fall.

While children everywhere are trying new locker combinations and hoping for at least one easy 'A,' we adults of the world mostly just stick to our routines. I generally like having my routine, but there's something about this time of year that makes me want to shake it all up and start fresh. And for some reason, anticipating the new seasons of Grey's Anatomy and So You Think You Can Dance just isn’t quite cutting it.

Any advice for reinventing the routine? Perhaps I need to go shopping for a new back-to-school outfit this weekend (just for old time's sake, of course). Or maybe I should start rockin' my CPK lunch box again. Now that would make me the envy of all my co-workers for sure!

In honor of all those going back to school this week, I have to post this clip from one of the best TV shows of my younger years. It's long, but worth watching. I particularly love the conversation with Theo that starts just after the five-minute mark—oh the drama of high school! We thought we had it so tough.



Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

The end of the Rainbow

Last week marked the end of an era. After 26 years on television, the final episode of Reading Rainbow aired on PBS. Now truthfully, I didn't even know this show was still on the air. Nevertheless, hearing this news mad me a little sad and very nostalgic. And when I heard the show’s theme song, childhood memories flooded back. If you're in my generation, you'll know what I mean when you watch this:

I don't know why books were so much cooler when they were read on TV, but I used to love going to the library in search of the books that were featured on RR. And obviously, LeVar Burton rocked (but more so on this show than he did on Star Trek with the visor thing that I always thought looked like the banana clips we wore in our hair back then).

I guess RR is not being funded any longer because it doesn’t focus on teaching kids HOW to read. But, I think there’s something to be said about a show that teaches kids WHY reading is fun. Although it has been a long time since I've read a children's book, I still love to read, and I'll go ahead and give RR a little credit.

Anyway, someday I may end up with RR DVDs and force them on my children, who will think the show is completely old fashioned. In the meantime...what do you think was the best children’s book ever? “Take a look, it’s in a book…”

Not your average sing-a-long

When it comes to music, I'll listen to—and appreciate—just about anything. But recently, I heard something a little disturbing. This Kidz Bop commercial is in frequent rotation on an online radio station I listen to. And I’m telling ya…the sound of it nearly makes my ears bleed.

Kidz Bop involves a bunch of kids recording a compilation of today’s pop music hits: "Sung by kids, for kids."

Now, I'm all for singing kids. How can you not smile at the little singers belting out Disney show tunes at their school concert (while simultaneously mastering the "step touch" and other complex choreography)? And my heart melts when I hear the children's choir at church singing (or sometimes screaming) about how Jesus love them. In fact, my big claim to fame is that you can hear my young singing voice on the Christmas edition of G.T. and the Halo Express…stocking stuffer anyone?

But Kidz Bop is different. Basically, here's the concept… take the most obnoxiously overplayed songs on the radio, sung by role models like Britney Spears and the Black-Eyed Peas, toss in a few borderline inappropriate lyrics and market this to children. Brilliant. It obviously works if they’re now promoting the 16th edition of this album.

I’m not trying to sound like a prude. I'm certainly known to turn up some Britney in my car during my rush hour drive home. And I know there isn’t a whole lot of choice when it comes to kids' music, but I'm just sayin…

Am I the only one who finds this album a little cringe worthy?